Heat's Bam Adebayo Declares Himself First-Team All-Defense

The Miami star calls out award voters after another dominant defensive performance.

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Bam Adebayo, the Miami Heat's star center, has put NBA award voters on blast after being left off last year's All-Defensive team. Following a game where he tied his career-high with six steals and added a block, Adebayo declared that he is a First-Team All-Defense player "no matter what the voters say." The 28-year-old has anchored Miami's top-5 defense this season and believes his consistent defensive impact has been overlooked in recent years.

Why it matters

Adebayo's defensive prowess is a key part of the Heat's identity and success, but he feels his contributions have not been properly recognized by award voters in recent seasons. This outspoken declaration could put more pressure on voters to properly acknowledge Adebayo's defensive dominance.

The details

Adebayo tied his career-high with six steals and added a block as the Heat held the Nets to just 98 points on 38.4% shooting. The Heat have posted a 110.65 defensive rating with Adebayo on the court, allowing 4.8 fewer points per 100 possessions compared to when he's off the floor - the 6th highest defensive rating swing among 20 big men who have played over 1,500 minutes this season.

  • Adebayo was selected second team All-Defense three straight years from 2020 to 2023 before his first first-team selection in 2024.
  • Adebayo was left off last year's All-Defensive team.

The players

Bam Adebayo

A 28-year-old center for the Miami Heat who is known for his dominant defensive impact.

Erik Spoelstra

The head coach of the Miami Heat, who praised Adebayo's defensive tone-setting performance against the Nets.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I think people get tired of seeing consistency. It gets boring when you see somebody doing it over and over again. But also, the criteria has shifted as I've gotten older in this league. You've got guys making it who aren't making the playoffs; they're at the bottom of the league in record. You see some crazy stuff happening now. I don't know if it's just voter fatigue, but I'm always gonna be First-Team All-Defense. That'll never change. No matter what the voters say. My peers know it.”

— Bam Adebayo (ClutchPoints)

“He sets the tone. In that first quarter [against the Nets], I think he had four steals, and then he had a couple blocks. In the first half, really anchoring our defense. And these are two very good defensive games, back-to-back. Our defense has been good all year, but we needed to really step up to a high level to finish out this regular season.”

— Erik Spoelstra, Head Coach (ClutchPoints)

What’s next

The Heat are battling to avoid falling into the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, with Miami, Philadelphia and Orlando separated by just half a game for the 6th through 8th seeds.

The takeaway

Bam Adebayo's consistent defensive dominance has been overlooked by award voters in recent years, but his outspoken declaration that he is a First-Team All-Defense player could put more pressure on them to properly recognize his impact. Adebayo's defensive prowess is crucial to the Heat's identity and success, and this incident highlights the sometimes subjective nature of NBA awards voting.