Bam Adebayo Addresses LaMelo Ball Not Checking In After Heat-Hornets Incident
LaMelo Ball broke his promise to check on Bam Adebayo, and the league is noticing now.
During Tuesday's play-in game, Ball tripped Bam Adebayo while lying on the floor after a blocked shot. Adebayo fell hard, injured his lower back, and left the game after only 11 minutes. The Charlotte Hornets eventually escaped with a 127-126 overtime victory over the Miami Heat, with Ball scoring the magical winning layup to end the Heat's season.
After the game, Ball claimed he didn't realize what he'd done. "I apologize. I got hit in the head and didn't really know where I was," he said, adding that he planned to check on Adebayo. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra dismissed the excuse, arguing that Ball should have been ejected for a dangerous play that officials clearly missed.
On the very next day, the NBA assessed Ball a Flagrant Foul 2 and fined him $35,000 for "unnecessary and reckless contact" that "created a significant injury risk." He was also hit with an additional $25,000 fine for using profane language during a live postgame interview.
It has become messier now after Adebayo confessed something critical about Ball in a recent interview.
When asked whether Ball had reached out, Adebayo replied, "It didn't happen. By that time, I was in the shower trying to figure out what I was going to do next. Just obviously, everything happened all at once. And I wanted to be out there. So at some point, I'll see him again, we'll have that conversation, and we'll move on. "
Bam Adebayo reveals that LaMelo Ball hasn't apologized to him after saying he would check on him
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 16, 2026
"It didn't happen… I want it to be out there. At some point I'll see him again and we'll have that conversation"
(h/t @HeatCulture13 )
pic.twitter.com/JP5D7RJxfL
Adebayo also addressed the broader context, noting no prior bad blood with Ball because he was drafted in 2017, the same class that included Ball, who went undrafted that year. However, he raised a concern about officiating, arguing the NBA should allow reviews of hostile acts even if no foul is called in real time.
Following the incident, many experts thought Ball would be slapped with serious punishment, but the league likely did him a favor. Although they upgraded the hit to a Flagrant 2, they didn't suspend him, leaving the 24-year-old eligible for the next round.
The Hornets, however, moved on to play against the Orlando Magic on Friday for the final playoff spot. Meanwhile, the Heat enter the offseason after missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 2:39 PM.