Bam Adebayo definitely kept the receipts on Brian Windhorst.
The ESPN personality Windhorst issued a curious take earlier this week ahead of Team USA’s group-stage game against South Sudan at the Paris Olympics. Windhorst suggested that the US, after almost losing to South Sudan during exhibition play earlier this month, needed to make a lineup change. He also named the Miami Heat star big Adebayo as one specific candidate to be benched because of South Sudan’s “athletic wing players.”
“South Sudan's got a bunch of athletic wing players. Tatum's gonna be out there. They're gonna be switching all of those screens because they gotta play the perimeter, and there may be a guy like Bam Adebayo that gets benched…”
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 29, 2024
That take from Windhorst did not age very well. Adebayo was not, in fact, benched and looked like Team USA’s best player Wednesday in a blowout win over South Sudan. He finished with a team-high 18 points to go along with seven rebounds, two blocks, and even two three-pointers in his 20 minutes of action. The US would go on to win by the final of 103-86.
Bam Adebayo at halftime:
14 PTS (game-high)
6-6 FG
2-2 3PM
3 REBScary hourspic.twitter.com/LOx3M7PGe5
— Heat Nation (@HeatNationCom) July 31, 2024
Bam Adebayo vs South Sudan:
18 points (led USA)
7 rebounds
2 blocks (led USA)
1 steal
1 assist
8/10 FG
2/3 3P+22 in his 20 minutes. pic.twitter.com/SwtN6XEEhy
—(@HeatvsHaters) July 31, 2024
After the game, Adebayo trolled Windhorst in a post to X. He quote-posted the clip of Windhorst’s comments about him and added in the famous 50 Cent “What he say f–k me for?” meme.
https://t.co/G9fQ57gAvT pic.twitter.com/qxTmCRUG5x
— 13am Adebayo (@Bam1of1) July 31, 2024
It was bizarre in the first place to suggest that Adebayo, a four-time All-Defensive selection known for his switchability onto the perimeter, might be benched if Team USA needed to go with a more switch-heavy defense. But Adebayo made Windhorst look doubly foolish by turning in an incredible offensive performance against South Sudan on top of that.
Windhorst’s greater point was probably that the sheer talent on Team USA combined with the need to play to matchups means that multiple deserving players will inevitably have to be DNPs from time to time. There were two very notable benchings last Sunday against Serbia, and Wednesday saw Joel Embiid get the DNP against South Sudan. But Adebayo, who has looked like Team USA’s best big man along with Anthony Davis all summer, clearly will not be getting benched any time soon.
