As the Miami Heat went through a tough loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday night, 106-105, it came off a frustrating final play, including Bam Adebayo and miscommunication with Norman Powell. With the loss and the Heat missing Tyler Herro with a toe injury, the outing was also a historic one for Adebayo, now having sole possession as the third-highest all-time scorer in franchise history.

When Asdebayo scored his 14th point on Friday night, he passed Glenn Rice to become the top-three in Miami history in total points scored, finishing the game with 27 points, bringing him to 9,259 points in his career. The only two in front of him are Alonzo Mourning with 9,459 points, a mark he is very likely to hit within the coming weeks, but first place is far away, with Dwyane Wade's 21,556 points.

Still, it's a bittersweet moment for Adebayo, who was speechless when hearing the milestone, though he wishes it had come in a win.

“I can’t really put that into words, man,” Adebayo said, via video from HeatCulture on X, formerly Twitter. “I would have liked to have done it on a dub, but having the opportunity to pass some of these greats. Obviously, being able to pass them and bring them back into the present day. I’m pretty sure at some point when I see Glen, he’s going to give me a big hug. That’s my guy. It's a great thing.”

 

Heat's Erik Spoelstra on the “incredible” mark Bam Adebayo reached

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) reacts after loosing to the Orlando Magic at Kia Center.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

While the Heat have been one of the league's highest-scoring teams, it was a trudge for the team on Friday, ending in a loss for Miami, though Adebayo's legacy reached another high point. For someone who is known mostly for their elite defense, Adebayo has made his presence known offensively, being one of the team's engines on that side of the ball, making the historic mark that much more special.

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“I came into this league as a defender,” Adebayo said. “To be third in points in franchise history in points is an incredible feeling for sure.”

One person who was floored upon hearing the news was head coach Erik Spoelstra, expressing how “incredible” it is and how it's a “testament to his consistency.”

“That’s really incredible. What an achievement,” Spoelstra said, via video by Heat Central on X. “I had no idea. Wow, that’s awesome. I would have mentioned something to him, even though it was kind of a buzzkill there at the end [of the loss].”

“But that’s just a testament to his consistency, his work ethic. He came in basically as a defensive player, and he’s really honed his skills offensively to become so much more versatile. On a tough night and a tough loss, that’s one heck of an accomplishment. He’s going to keep going.”

At any rate, Adebayo looks to chase now Mourning while also leading Miami to get back in the win column with their next opportunity coming Saturday night against the Sacramento Kings.