Ahead of first All-Star start, Heat’s Adebayo embracing moment while setting big long-term goals – Miami Herald

This is not Bam Adebayo’s first appearance in the NBA All-Star Game, but the Miami Heat center doesn’t take these moments for granted. In fact, he wants as many of these moments as he can earn.

“I mean, it’s an accolade,” Adebayo said. “Obviously, some people tend to not care. But for me, man, why not? You look at a guy like [LeBron James], he just broke a record for the most All-Star appearances. That sounds crazy.

“Then, obviously, when you look back at your legacy, you don’t want to be like, ‘I left a lot of things on the table.’ For me, that’s not what I want. When I’m done, I want to be able to have every last ounce of relief when I walk away from this game and know I gave it everything I have.”

Adebayo is on his way to doing just that, as he’ll play in his third NBA All-Star Game on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (8 p.m., TNT) in his seventh NBA season.

“Go out there, have fun, not get hurt, enjoy the game and enjoy the atmosphere,” Adebayo said of his goals for Sunday.

Adebayo, 26, is already part of an exclusive Heat group. He joins Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh as the only six players in franchise history who have been voted into the All-Star Game three or more times as members of the Heat.

But Adebayo’s third All-Star appearance will be different than the first two for a very obvious reason.

Despite being selected as an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve, Adebayo will start Sunday’s All-Star Game after being named on Saturday as an injury replacement starter for Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. It not only marks Adebayo’s first All-Star start, but it’s also the fist time a Heat player has started an All-Star Game since Wade in 2016.

“It’s going to be a dope experience,” Adebayo said after learning Saturday that he’ll start Sunday’s showcase game. “Just going to really cherish that moment and thankful to God and all the people who support me through all the ups and downs. We’ve added something new to our list.”

Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers, who will coach the East in this year’s All-Star Game, called the decision to promote Adebayo to starter an “easy” one.

“I looked at Big Joel out, what other (center) do we have on the team, and Bam got the honor,” Rivers said Saturday. “It’s good for him, too. It’s funny, I told him in locker room. He didn’t know. I thought he knew because I told the league yesterday. You could tell he was very happy about it.”

While racking up All-Star Game appearances and getting his first All-Star Game start on Sunday, Adebayo is also producing at a pace that would make him one of the greatest Heat players ever if he spends all or most of his career with the organization.

At Adebayo’s current pace, he and Wade could be No. 1 and No. 2 as the Heat’s all-time career leaders in categories like two-point field goals made, free throws made, assists, steals and points, among others. Adebayo also appears to be on his way to overtaking Udonis Haslem as the Heat’s all-time leading rebounder within the next five seasons.

“It’s just one of those things, when you look back at it and you just sit there and think about being No. 1 and No. 2 in a lot of things,” Adebayo said. “That’s just grit and determination, and also just sacrifice and will. Also, to be a part of something special at the end of the day when you look up and you’re like, ‘Damn, my jersey is retired and I’m top two in everything behind a guy like Dwyane Wade.’ It just sounds crazy.”

But to continue that climb and join Wade at the top of the Heat’s record book for various categories, Adebayo needs to continue playing for the Heat. His plan is to make that happen, again emphasizing Saturday that it’s hard to envision himself playing for another franchise during his NBA career.

“I’ve seen guys stay in one situation and obviously you see the good and the bad of both sides,” said Adebayo, who took over as the Heat’s captain this season following Haslem’s retirement. “But I feel like when you have an organization that can really push for championships, us going to the Finals with 60 percent of our team being undrafted. When you have those types of moments, when you’re always in that fight mentality, it’s something that it will be different if it changes. I see that in a lot of guys when they get here or when they leave, it’s always a different story on the other side.”

Adebayo is in the third season of a five-year contract worth $163 million and will be eligible to sign an extension with the Heat this upcoming offseason. He’s one of five players averaging at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per game this season, along with Embiid, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis.

“For me, man, it’s just being able to look at some of the ones who have done it like a D-Wade, like UD,” said Adebayo, who has already played in two NBA Finals but has yet to win a championship. “When you hear those types of stories, you want that type of story. It sounds like a great resume, being able to win championships, get everything you want out of your career and be with the same team.”

Those are long-term goals for Adebayo, though.

For now, he’s focused on taking a more aggressive approach in Sunday’s All-Star Game after totaling just 12 points on seven shots during his first two All-Star Game appearances.

“I think they’re going to pass me the ball this year,” Adebayo said with a grin. “I feel like when you get to the third All-Star Game and I’m starting now, so I might get me a couple shots. But I’m going to be a little more aggressive.”