Nigerian-born US national basketball team star, Bam Adebayo has come under verbal attack from many stakeholders of the game and a cross-section of analysts, following his widely reported physical confrontation with a former teammate, Tyler Herro.
Sports247 gathered that the three-time All Star player in USA’s National Basketball Association (NBA) and gold medalist with the American team at the last two Olympic Games, reportedly struck Herro at a Las Vegas hotel practice court on Friday morning.
Further reports about the incident indicated that ‘Bam,’ whose full name is Edrice Femi Adebayo, was apparently reacting to Herro’s alleged online critical remarks about his former teammate’s performances after his transfer in Miami’s recent deal for another Nigerian-born star, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The deal ended Adebayo and Herro’s seven-season run as teammates in Miami, where Antetokounmpo arrived with aplomb and was unveiled last week in jersey number seven, as against widely held expectations that he would continue donning 34, which he wore for 13 seasons at Milwaukee.
While Antetokounmpo joined Adebayo at The Heat, his place at Milwaukee Bucks was taken by Herro, who apparently opted to mock his former teammate on social media about his new status, before both teams were scheduled to meet in the NBA Summer League.
The physical altercation reportedly involved Adebayo hitting his former pal in the face, which some sources said happened after he approached Herro about the alleged comments, such as questioning his defensive consistency and referencing past play-off matchups.
Despite the clash, Herro still featured in the Summer League game later that same day and interacted with players on the court but, when taken up on the matter, he retorted curtly, “My only comment is no comment.”
However, respected NBA analyst, Kelly Iko described it as ‘a tremour’ and added in a report about the incident: “A number of Miami coaches were seen glued to their phones Friday during the Heat’s 119-86 win over the Bucks — retired player James Posey was still processing the information at Cox Pavilion.
“Those who have spent time with the organization and those who have played or coached against Herro – paint a clearer picture of an Adebayo/Herro dynamic that turned frosty rather quickly, as well as the incendiary role the latter played that ultimately led to the reported physical confrontation.”
Sports247 gathered further that Herro is apparently incensed that he was traded by Miami Heat, while Adebayo has long been seen as the team’s most important player because of his defensive excellence, versatility, offensive stability and character, all of which earned him the role of team captain.
A citation by Sports Yahoo added, “The two-time Olympic champion, three-time All-Star and six-time All-Defensive player represents the consistency head coach, Erik Spoelstra and team president, Pat Riley strive for within their team culture – a sentiment that has been made public over the years.”
