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Bam Adebayo had a trophy to hand out and kids to inspire. His annual basketball camp, Sunday in Miami, was first and foremost a celebration of the NBA Social Justice Award he had just received. But a kid's question, captured by an amateur videographer, turned the afternoon into a media storm: the Heat center delivered his all-time top 5, and LeBron James was not on it.
In order, Adebayo cited Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, and Tim Duncan. No trace of the King, four-time NBA champion and the league's all-time leading scorer, despite being Adebayo's teammate at the Olympics and a mentor figure he still calls "my brother" in private. The clip, captured on Sunday and massively shared on social media, immediately reignited a saga that has been simmering since the start of the summer.
In order, Adebayo cited Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, and Tim Duncan.
The Philadelphia choice, a turning point
The timing is no coincidence. A few weeks earlier, LeBron James, a free agent, had the choice between a return to Miami—where he won two of his four rings—and an adventure in Philadelphia. He chose the 76ers. For the Heat, which had structured its salary cap around that possibility, the blow was harsh. For Adebayo, captain of the Florida franchise, the pill seems bitter, even if he refuses to admit it publicly.
Questioned by several American media outlets, the 28-year-old center was keen to defuse any idea of personal grudge. He said he had sent a message to James after the announcement of his signing, an exchange he describes as warm. "I'm happy for him," he assured. Before adding, with a smile but a firm tone: "And I told him I was going to kick his ass when we meet on the court."
A list designed to provoke
Placing Stephen Curry ahead of Michael Jordan, elevating Kevin Durant to fourth place, and completely excluding LeBron James: the composition of Adebayo's quintet looks like a calculated provocation. American analysts have jumped into the fray. Former player Kenyon Martin, on Yahoo Sports, estimated that the Heat captain was necessarily "salty" about James's choice. Others see it as a way to unite the locker room around a common enemy ahead of a 2026-27 season where Miami must prove it can exist without an external superstar.
The Heat staff, for its part, observes the media circus with a certain distance. Erik Spoelstra, the coach, knows his captain: Adebayo is not the type to throw out lists by chance. At 28, entering his tenth season in Florida, the three-time All-Star knows that every word now carries weight. He chose his carefully.
October 15, a date to circle
The NBA schedule has already given a little gift to storyline lovers: Miami will host Philadelphia on October 15 in a preseason game. It will only be a warm-up, but the matchup already promises an intensity greater than a simple tune-up game. Adebayo against James, for real. The King, at 41, will have the opportunity to respond on the court to the one who erased him from his personal pantheon. And if basketball first remembers titles and statistics, it is sometimes in these intimate little revenges that the NBA finds its best stories.