Why Did Bam Adebayo Hate Coach Erik Spoelstra? Heat Star Reveals Reason in Candid Revelation

Bam Adebayo has become one of Erik Spoelstra's most trusted players and a cornerstone of Miami’s defense. But on Thursday, he admitted that early in his career, he actually hated Spoelstra, a candid revelation about their rocky start.

During an appearance on the "Oldman and the Three" podcast, Adebayo opened up on his initial bond with Spo and how they didn't really see eye to eye.

"Oh, I hated Spo when I first got here," Bam said. "First of all, this is the first one competitive moment I had with Spo in my rookie year. We’re in training camp and I’m on the red team. So we got the first unit, second unit and the younger guys, the JV team basically."

Continuing his story, Adebayo revealed the reason behind his hatred of Spoelstra.

"I am competitive, so I don't care who out there I want to win, so we're losing and I am pissed. I am hot," Bam continued. "I remember the next day he came to me, we were having a film session and he was like 'You think you are above being with the red team?' and I was like 'what the f*ck' ... and that's our first interaction."

The Miami Heat drafted Bam Adebayo with the 14th pick in 2017, and while he initially had reservations about Erik Spoelstra, their relationship has evolved dramatically. Over the years, the two have built a strong understanding, with Adebayo emerging as one of Miami’s franchise pillars alongside Tyler Herro.

Under Spo's leadership, Bam has reached two NBA Finals and earned three All-Star appearances, and was named on the NBA All-Defensive First Team last season.

Bam Adebayo reveals Heat veteran's role in changing his thoughts on Erik Spoelstra

Bam Adebayo is the first name on Erik Spoelstra's starting five these days, but this wasn't always the case. The duo had a tumultuous start to their relationship, and it wasn't until Heat veteran Udonis Haslem intervened that Adebayo changed his thoughts on Spo.

Opening up on Haslem's role in helping him understand, Spoelstra, Adebayo said:

"Thank god for UD, we need more vets in this league like him because he changed my whole mindset when it came to Spo ... And then sitting at the end of the bench, he (UD) was like 'Young fella, be ready so when your name gets called, when you go out there, you prove to him.'"

Haslem’s support paid off in the long run, as Adebayo has become an integral piece under Spoelstra while Miami continues to compete near the top of the East.