Gilbert Arenas is not one to buy the narrative surrounding Bam Adebayo’s injury during the Miami Heat’s play-in loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
Speaking on The LaVar Ball Show, the former three-time All-Star accused the Heat of keeping Adebayo out after his collision with LaMelo Ball because losing the game meant they would get a lottery pick. It was a rather serious accusation, but it was merely his personal opinion rather than something backed by proof or evidence.
“And I didn’t like what they did about the Bam thing. Oh, and I said it. I said, ‘Hey, can y’all apologize to the boy now? You really thought Bam’s butt was hurting for him to sit out of the game? They lost that game so they could get a lottery pick.”
“Come on, let’s say it how it really is. They needed a lottery pick over there. He was never coming back in the game. You think his wife, a four-time MVP, would be like, ‘What’s wrong? Your butt hurts?’ Really? Is that what we’re doing in his family? No. Pat Riley walked his a** in there. ‘Hey, hey, hey, you better sit your ass down. We lose this game, we get a lottery pick.'”
“Tomorrow they’re going to be sitting there like, ‘Hey, Bam. Bam. Good job. Good job, boy.’ So it’s like, y’all over here bashing… LaMelo’s like this. ‘Oh, they wanted the lottery pick. That’s why he didn’t come back in the game.’ Don’t pull that narrative.”
“And that’s what I didn’t like. I know the business. I know what the business is. I sat in the room and listened to them talking, sitting there like, ‘So, he’s going to get 1.5 if he averages 20. And then, so y’all are going to sub him in, and you’re going to start him, and then sub him out after one minute so he goes to 19.8.'”
These comments have generated reactions from fans because they challenge the widely accepted version of events surrounding the incident.
During the Heat’s overtime loss to the Hornets, Adebayo exited the game in the late stages after a hard foul from LaMelo Ball and did not return. Ball was later fined $60,000 by the NBA for unnecessary and reckless conduct, leading many fans to blame him for Adebayo’s injury and the Heat’s exit.
But Arenas thinks Ball was unfairly criticized. Instead of pointing the finger at the Hornets guard, he argued that the Heat had little incentive to get Bam back into a game they were on the verge of losing, especially if a defeat could land the franchise a valuable lottery pick.
It is worth noting that there is no evidence backing this claim. Neither the NBA nor the Heat have ever suggested that Adebayo exaggerated the injury or that Miami intentionally tanked the game. It has always been maintained that Adebayo was unable to return because of the injury he suffered during the game.
But the timing definitely raises questions.
By losing the play-in game, the Heat secured the No. 13 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. While Miami ultimately included that pick in the blockbuster Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, there was little concrete information at the time suggesting that deal was already a foregone conclusion.
The broader point is less about whether the Heat tanked or not, and more about how narratives can form after controversial moments. For months, LaMelo Ball faced criticism over the play that sidelined Bam. But Arenas believes that criticism should instead be directed at the Heat, whom he alleges wanted to secure a lottery pick.
Without evidence from the Heat or the league, Arenas’ comments remain speculation rather than fact. While they have added another narrative surrounding Miami’s play-in exit, there is nothing concrete to suggest the Heat intentionally kept Adebayo out to tank the game.
