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(Mandatory credit: Jacob Kupferman\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n (Mandatory credit: Jacob Kupferman\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
As the Miami Heat\u2019s forgetful 2025-26 campaign is officially over, there was still a sour taste left in the end. <\/p>\n
Of course, Miami fell short to the Charlotte Hornets in the 9-10 play-in matchup in an overtime thriller. However, it\u2019s only fair to assume if there would still be Heat basketball being played had their captain and star player Bam Adebayo not gotten injured. In what was a heavily controversial play in that game, Adebayo was taken down by LaMelo Ball early in the first half\u2014 courtesy of a clear cheap shot where Ball grabbed Adebayo\u2019s ankle and pulled out from under him. It led to a hard fall on Adebayo\u2019s tailbone, and one in which he left the game and never returned.<\/p>\n
Immediately following the season-ending loss, coach Erik Spoelstra did not hold back on ripping Ball apart in the postgame press conference:<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s cute. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s funny. I think it\u2019s a stupid play. It\u2019s a dangerous play. He (LaMelo) should be penalized for that. I don\u2019t think that belongs in the game, tripping guys. He should have been thrown out of the game for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014 Erik Spoelstra<\/p>\n
The aftermath included a league review of Ball\u2019s shenanigans on Adebayo, leading to a $60K fine\u2014 but no suspension. Ball would ultimately receive his karma when Charlotte was destroyed by the Orlando Magic in their next play-in game, ending the Hornets\u2019 season. <\/p>\n
However, Ball iterated after the Heat-Hornets outing that he planned to \u201ccheck in\u201d and apologize to Adebayo. Days later, fans have discovered that was not what transpired. <\/p>\n
Bam Adebayo confirmed that LaMelo Ball did not reach out at all, yet. <\/p>\n
In Miami\u2019s player exit interviews, it was no shock that the Ball-Adebayo incident was addressed. And the Heat star went on to reveal his skepticism of Ball\u2019s intentions during that play and even confirmed he has not heard anything from Ball. <\/p>\n
Bam confirms that LaMelo Ball, who stated postgame after the Heat-Hornets play-in he would be apologizing for his dirty play, did not do so:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt didn\u2019t happen\u2026 I want It to be out there. At some point I\u2019ll see him again and we\u2019ll have that conversation.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/Fdg3a5Ysmk<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Hot Hot Hoops (@hothothoops) April 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t make sense that three or four plays can go by and you can review a 3-point shot,\u201d Adebayo stated. \u201cYou can\u2019t review a hostile act?\u2026 LaMelo makes what, $30 million a year? The $60K fine he\u2019s not going to see\u2026 nobody is going to know the truth but LaMelo if it was dirty or not.\u201d<\/p>\n At the end of the day, neither a Ball suspension nor even a formal apology to Adebayo wasn\u2019t going to change the fact that Miami\u2019s season is over. It\u2019s a shame that fans couldn\u2019t see it through with this Heat team, especially after witnessing the eight seed Magic upsetting the Detroit Pistons early in these playoffs. The Heat would have posed as a legitimate matchup threat to the likes of Detroit\u2014 as they finished the regular season going 3-1 against them in their matchups. <\/p>\n Not to mention, Miami would have been on the opposite side of the postseason bracket from the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks had they gotten out of a potential Detroit first round series. A path for another underdog run was certainly there, but the basketball gods said otherwise. <\/p>\n Now another long offseason filled with questions will take place, as Pat Riley and company will hope to make the best of Adebayo\u2019s prime years and maximize a re-tooling window. <\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n To check out our other content, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter\/X\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Check out Hot Hot Hoops on Facebook\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Subscribe to our YouTube channel\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t\t\t