Bam Adebayo Still Awaiting Word From LaMelo Ball After Play-In Incident

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo says he has yet to hear directly from LaMelo Ball following a contentious play that overshadowed the Miami Heat’s 127-126 Play-In Tournament loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.

Bam Adebayo says LaMelo Ball hasn’t apologized to him after saying he would check on him:

“It didn’t happen… I want it to be out there. At some point I’ll see him again and we’ll have that conversation”

(h/t @HeatCulture13 ) pic.twitter.com/kJVQr9sl22

— Hater Report (@HaterReport) April 16, 2026

The incident occurred when Ball became entangled with Adebayo’s leg during a key sequence, causing the Heat big man to fall hard to the court. Adebayo exited the game shortly after and did not return. The moment quickly drew scrutiny across the league for its perceived recklessness.

Adebayo confirmed the two have not spoken since the game.

“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.”

He stopped short of labeling Ball a dirty player, instead framing the situation as something that would be debated externally rather than resolved by either participant.

“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.”

The play drew a strong reaction from Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra, who criticized the incident in blunt terms following the loss.

“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.”

The league later issued disciplinary action, fining Ball $35,000 for “making unnecessary and reckless contact” and retroactively upgrading the play to a Flagrant 2 foul, noting he should have been ejected during the game. Ball also received an additional $25,000 fine for profanity used in a postgame interview.

Despite the penalties, Ball will not face a suspension and is expected to play Friday when Charlotte faces the Orlando Magic for the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 playoff seed.