Heat’s Bam Adebayo says LaMelo Ball hasn’t apologized for trip in Play-In loss to Hornets – The Athletic
Bam Adebayo hasn’t yet received an apology from LaMelo Ball for Ball’s tripping of Adebayo in the Miami Heat’s 127-126 Play-In loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. As Adebayo was falling, Ball appeared to grab at one of the Heat center’s legs early in the second quarter, causing the Miami star to lose his balance and fall on his back. Adebayo exited the game with a lower back injury shortly after.
“It didn’t happen,” Adebayo said about talking with Ball postgame. “By that time, I was in the shower trying to figure out what I was going to do next. Obviously, everything happened all at once, and I wanted to be out there. At some point, I’ll see him again, and we’ll have that conversation, and we’ll move on.”
Ball said after the game he would try to “touch base” with Adebayo to apologize for the situation. Ball made an effort to find Adebayo after the game, but the Heat center confirmed that the former No. 2 pick didn’t reach him due to Adebayo being in the shower by that point. The Hornets will face the Orlando Magic on Friday in an NBA Play-In game to determine the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
“I don’t think it’s cute. I don’t think it’s funny. I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play,” Spoelstra said after Tuesday’s loss. “I don’t think that belongs in the game. Tripping guys, those shenanigans. He should have been thrown out of the game for that. … There’s just no place in the game for that.”
The NBA has since fined Ball $35,000, “for making unnecessary and reckless contact” and retroactively assessed a Flagrant 2 foul, saying Ball should have been ejected. The play wasn’t reviewed during the game, and Ball continued playing, scoring 30 points, including the overtime game-winner to end Miami’s season.
“With the referees and the NBA, I feel like you should be able to review a hostile act no matter how long the possession has gone by,” Adebayo told reporters in his exit interview Thursday.
Regardless, Adebayo didn’t seem to harbor bad feelings towards Ball.
“Nobody is really going to know the truth but LaMelo if it was dirty or not,” he said. “Everyone is going to try to defend him or defend me. We move on at this point.”
