INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A new honor is awaiting Miami’s Bam Adebayo: He’ll be an All-Star starter for the first time.
Adebayo was announced Saturday as the replacement for Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid in the Eastern Conference starting lineup for Sunday night’s NBA All-Star Game. Embiid — the reigning MVP and two-time defending scoring champion — is missing the game because of a knee injury.
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers, who will lead the East team in the All-Star Game, made the selection.
Adebayo made the All-Star team this season as a reserve selected by coaches, just as he did in 2020 — when he also won the skills competition at All-Star weekend — and 2023. He’ll become the seventh player to be an All-Star starter as a member of the Heat and the first since Dwyane Wade in 2016.Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Alonzo Mourning and Anthony Mason also were All-Star starters as members of the Heat. Mason was an injury replacement for Grant Hill in 2001; Bosh was an injury replacement for Rajon Rondo in 2013.
Adebayo is averaging 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1 block per game this season, his seventh with the Heat and his first as Miami’s captain. No Heat player has ever finished a season with all those averages and only two other players are averaging at least that much in all five categories this season — Embiid and Milwaukee All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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