Dwyane Wade is, without question, the greatest player to ever wear a Miami Heat jersey in the franchise's history. Bam Adebayo may not be on his heels, but he's getting awfully closer after he became just the second player in franchise history to score 10,000 points in a Heat uniform.
Of course, legendary players have also put on the same jersey — Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James, Alonzo Mourning, Glen Rice, Jimmy Butler, and Tim Hardaway, among others.Â
But none have ever reached the legendary status that both Wade and Bam now share.
Adebayo, the current face of the Heat, sits alone at a table with Wade, the former face of the Heat, just the two of them. And it may be a long time before another joins. Adebayo can celebrate this latest achievement, which could be accompanied by another record depending on how the rest of the season plays out.
Bam Adebayo can pass Udonis Haslem next
Adebayo and Wade share more than just a franchise record connection; toward the end of Wade's playing career, Adebayo just got his started. The two played as teammates during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons — Adebayo was a rookie when Wade returned to the Heat after a brief time away with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls.Â
After Wade retired, the Heat acquired Butler to pair with Adebayo, but over the course of a few seasons, it became clear that, even though Butler was the megastar, Adebayo was shaping himself into the face of the franchise. Although Adebayo was, and still is, very much viewed as a defensive player rather than an offensive one, he still reached 10,000 points.
The reality of reaching that mark with the team that drafted him and being able to join Wade in the same regard is not something Adebayo takes lightly, and he attributes his growth over the years to reaching this late-career milestone.Â
"Just shows the growth of my game," Adebayo said. "Obviously, this organization believes in me. I've been here that long so I can get 10K with the same team. And obviously, being in the history books behind somebody like D-Wade, it's a great accomplishment."
The records for Adebayo may not stop there, however. He could have another just over the horizon, involving another Heat legend, albeit one known for reasons other than scoring, like Wade's. Udonis Haslem, another Heat legend, made his mark on the franchise for his leadership and for upholding "Heat Culture" and holding his teammates accountable, even when he wasn't grabbing rebounds.
As those rebounds are related, Haslem is the franchise's leader in rebounds, and Adebayo needs only 207 to catch and jump over. Whether he can accomplish that this season, only time will tell — the Heat have just 17 games remaining, so Adebayo would have to really chase down Haslem's record with increased tenacity in order to do it.Â
Like Haslem and Wade were cornerstones for the Heat, each in their own way, Adebayo is Miami's current cornerstone. Right now, he's focused on leading the Heat to the playoffs, and he'll need to remain that cornerstone if they are to have any chance, but getting there is their first priority.