Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, who spent seven seasons together as Miami Heat teammates, were reportedly involved in a physical confrontation on Friday morning at a practice facility inside a Las Vegas hotel.
According to ESPN, Adebayo allegedly struck Herro after approaching him over comments the former Heat guard had recently made on social media. The incident happened at a gym located inside Resorts World Casino and was witnessed by members of Herro’s AAU team, according to The Athletic.
Reports state that Adebayo walked onto the court and Herro said something to him before the situation escalated. Adebayo then approached his former teammate and punched him, with Herro’s AAU coach later stepping in. Herro reportedly shouted at Adebayo while being escorted away by security, and both players eventually left the area separately.
An altercation comes during Summer League week
Both players were in Las Vegas for the beginning of the NBA Summer League. The timing came shortly after Herro’s move away from Miami, as he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks last month in a major deal involving Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Heat and Bucks faced each other on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center, with Herro attending the game. Before reports of the confrontation became public, he appeared during the Prime broadcast and spoke positively about his former team.
Herro said there was “all love in Miami” and mentioned that he had already seen several former teammates and coaches while in Las Vegas.
Heat acknowledge situation but decline further comments
The Miami Heat, who were among the teams linked with LeBron James during free agency, confirmed to multiple outlets that they were aware of the reported incident but chose not to provide additional details.
Herro also declined to comment when approached by Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel regarding the confrontation.
The reported incident ended a week in which the two players were expected to be focused on the start of Summer League activities rather than their previous partnership in Miami.
Adebayo and Herro begin new chapters after Miami
Adebayo, selected 14th overall by the Heat in the 2017 NBA Draft after playing at Kentucky, has become one of Miami’s key players. He has collected three All-Star selections and six NBA All-Defense honors during his career.
The center signed a three-year, $165 million extension in 2024 that keeps him under contract through the 2028-29 season. He is expected to remain one of the main figures in Miami’s plans alongside Antetokounmpo.
Herro, also a Kentucky product, was chosen 13th overall by the Heat in the 2019 NBA Draft. During his time in Miami, he won Sixth Man of the Year in 2022 and earned his first All-Star appearance in 2025.
The guard was sent to Milwaukee as part of the trade package that included Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round selections, and two pick swaps. Despite his offensive contributions, Herro has faced criticism for defensive struggles throughout his NBA career, especially during playoff games.
