Bam Adebayo has yet to receive 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.
The incident occurred when Ball caught Adebayo’s leg, sending the Heat big man crashing to the floor in a play. Adebayo left the game and did not return. Many—including Bam himself—viewed it as unnecessary and dangerous.
According to The Athletic, Adebayo and Ball have not met since the play took place.
“It didn’t happen,” Adebayo said during a recent press conference. “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.”
Adebayo did not describe Ball as a dirty player in his remarks.
Nobody is really going to know the truth but LaMelo if it was dirty or not,” Adebayo said. “Everyone is going to try to defend him or defend me. We move on at this point.”
Following the loss, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra did not mince words about Ball’s reckless play.
“I don’t think it’s cute. And 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.”
Although the play wasn’t reviewed during the game, the NBA has since fined Ball $35,000, “for making unnecessary and reckless contact.” Also, Ball was retroactively assessed a Flagrant 2 foul, “saying Ball should have been ejected.”
The NBA also announced that Ball has been fined $25,000 for using profanity during his post-game interview.
Ball will not face a suspension for the incident. He’ll be in the lineup on Friday when Charlotte plays the Orlando Magic with the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs on the line.
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