Bam Adebayo punches former Heat teammate Tyler Herro in Las Vegas after leaked DMs surface
The altercation occurred at a Las Vegas hotel practice facility after Herro had reportedly mocked Adebayo's defensive prowess in leaked messages.
The incident
On July 10, Bam Adebayo confronted former Miami Heat teammate Tyler Herro on a practice court inside a Las Vegas hotel, site of the NBA Summer League. After Herro spoke, Adebayo punched him in the head area, ESPN reported. Security personnel intervened, escorting Herro away while Adebayo left on his own. Las Vegas police were not summoned, according to The Athletic. The two had been teammates for seven seasons before Herro was traded to Milwaukee earlier this month.
Trade backdrop
The Miami Heat finalized a blockbuster trade with the Bucks on July 6, sending Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami for Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, a second-rounder and a pick swap. Adebayo remained as Heat captain, having signed a three-year, $166 million extension in June 2024. Herro, 26, averaged 20.5 points across 33 injury-shortened games this season, while Adebayo, 28, averaged 20.1 points and 10.0 rebounds in 73 games.
- Adebayo points
- 20.1
- Herro points
- 20.5
- Adebayo rebounds
- 10
- Herro rebounds
- 4.8
Leaked messages fuel tension
Days before the altercation, screenshots of direct messages between Herro and an anonymous fan appeared online. In one exchange, Herro appeared to take a swipe at Adebayo's defense, writing, "You should get paid 60 million to be a top tier defender on some nights? I'm just wondering." A person with knowledge of the matter told the Associated Press that these critical comments were one factor in the confrontation.
Reactions and aftermath
Both the Heat and the Bucks confirmed to The Athletic they were aware of the incident and declined further comment. Herro later attended Miami's 119-86 summer-league win over Milwaukee at the Thomas & Mack Center, sitting with his new teammates. He told local reporters only, "my only comment is no comment." Adebayo was not present at the game. Herro's agent, Jeff Schwartz, did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Earlier on Friday, before news of the punch broke, Herro spoke to Amazon Prime Video in an interview:
It's all love. It's all love in Miami. I've seen a couple of the guys, and the coaching staff. Chris Quinn, Spo (Erik Spoelstra), front office guys. We are all good in Miami and just the opportunity for both sides to reset, get a fresh start and we're both super happy for this.
