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Miami Heat Star Blasts NBA Media For Controversial Decision

Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo believes he deserves a Defensive Player of the Year award
Joey Linn|
May 21, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) and forward Jimmy Butler (22) react after a play during the third quarter against the Boston Celtics in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2023 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
May 21, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) and forward Jimmy Butler (22) react after a play during the third quarter against the Boston Celtics in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2023 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports | Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

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The Memphis Grizzlies have two of the last three Defensive Player of the Year award winners on their roster, but Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo believes he should have at least one of them. Speaking with Vince Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, Adebayo blasted the NBA media for moving the goalposts.

“A point guard (Marcus Smart) got it over me, a center (Rudy Gobert) got it over me, a power forward (Jaren Jackson Jr.) has gotten it over me,” Adebayo told Yahoo Sports. “The goalposts move for me, in certain degrees. It’s me and a lot of undrafted dudes, and we still have a top-five defense."

Adebayo added, "These other guys have All-NBA dudes (around them). Some of it is, they don’t really care about us and that’s fine. I think they should pay attention to consistency because being top five DPOY, I think I have the longest streak of All-Defensive teams, so the goalposts move for me."

It is certainly fair for Adebayo to feel this way, as he carries one of the biggest defensive responsibilities in all of basketball. That said, there are a lot of really talented defenders in the NBA, making it hard to select one Defensive Player of the Year each season. For Adebayo, he does not yet have a Defensive Player of the Year award, but does have five All-Defensive selections.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.

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