Most NBA stars have full control of their legacies. For the time being, that may not be the complete truth for Bam Adebayo. That's because if he's going to be able to cement his legacy as one of an all-time great for Heat fans, he's going to need some help.
And that may be entirely out of his hands, with the onus falling on the front office to make it happen.
That's why, to a certain extent, Bam's legacy-defining moment isn't one that can be carved on the basketball court just yet, but, instead, one that will fall in the hands of Pat Riley and the rest of his front office this offseason.
Bam Adebayo desperately needs help to cement his legacy
Even if his career ended today, Bam is going to be remembered as a very good Heat player. But if he wants to enter the elite status of a Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Shaquille O'Neal, and others, Bam needs to win a championship.
He has had great individual performances. He has had strong playoff runs. He has the leadership and respect from the locker room and coaching staff. Heck, he even has the 83-point game that, despite what critics may say, is going to go down in NBA history as one of the best individual efforts of all time.
But what Bam is missing is the championship. An NBA title is one thing that would be able to properly punctuate his career in Miami thus far. If Bam was able to win a chip, the way he's viewed, both from Heat fans and basketball fans, objectively, would change on a dime.
And the only way he could theoretically do that in a Heat uniform is with some help. He needs the front office to add another superstar to help push this team forward.
The good news for Bam is that's the priority heading into the offseason. The bad news is that if the last few years are any indication, the front office is going to have a difficult time closing.
It's unfortunate that it's completely out Bam's hands.
Recruitment doesn't hold as much water in the NBA today
Sure, I do suppose he can do his best to try and recruit. But this is a different day and age of the recruiting process in the league. That was huge when free agency was still a factor. Free agency, for the top stars in the league, is dead and gone.
Bam can recruit all he wants, but it's ultimately up to the front offices to land the star player at the end of the day.
Taking the example from the Damian Lillard saga, a player can say they want to be traded to the Heat and only the Heat. But if the front office can't close the deal, there's no point in Bam successfully recruiting the player.
So while it would be beneficial for Bam to recruit a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo, none of it will matter if the Heat's front office can't close the deal with Milwaukee.
In a way, it is legacy-defining time for Bam. Unfortunately, before he has the opportunity to do it on the court, the front office will have to come through for him in the offseason.
Add us as a preferred source on Google