Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo Credits A’ja Wilson for Improved Play

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo has officially broken out of his shooting slump, scoring 22 or more points in four of the Heat’s past five games.

Adebayo had been struggling on the offensive side of the ball for the better part of a month. His shooting splits from both three-point range and inside the paint were dropping before a 29-point explosion against the Phoenix Suns on January 13.

In a recent story on Andscape by Marc J. Spears, Adebayo credited his girlfriend, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson, for his recent improved play.

“I would say the key to my play has been clearing the clutter,” Adebayo said. “Just keeping my same mentality and just focusing on me. Everyone knows who my significant other is. When you go through a lot of things, it’s honestly one of the best things when you can relate to whatever she’s going through and also whatever you’re going through.”

“Most (significant others) that guys talk to either didn’t play, they’re just new to this, and they don’t fully understand this,” he continued. “But to have someone who fully 100 percent understands what you’re going through is a blessing. Also, it helps having people around me that allow me to get things off my chest.”

Adebayo and Wilson have been dating since 2021, before going public with their relationship in 2025.

This isn’t the first time one of them has credited the other for improved play. In an interview with TIME Magazine, Wilson mentioned how she and Adebayo train together frequently.

The article says: “The 6-ft., 9-in. big man serves as her defensive foil in workouts, forcing Wilson to take more difficult shots than she ever would against smaller WNBA competition.”

The Miami Heat Center Bam Adebayo is Having a Career-Best Stretch From Three

GettyMiami Heat center Bam Adebayo is coming off a career-high in made three pointers with six against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

One of the reasons that Bam Adebayo has been scoring over the past five games at a higher rate is because of his three-point shooting.

Adebayo has arguably been the Heat’s best three-point scorer since the team’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns. He’s hit at least 3 three pointers in four of the team’s last five games, and 4 three points in three games.

On January 17, against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Adebayo made a career-high 6 threes. Against the Sacramento Kings on January 20, Adebayo finished 4-5 from three.

“He has this versatility that is so uncommon; he can impact the game however his offense is going,” Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Tonight, he was decisive on his catches, and he shot the ball great.”

In January, Adebayo is shooting 45.7% from three. For the season, he is shooting a career-high 35.9% on a career-high 4.3 attempts per game.

Can the Miami Heat Ride Bam Adebayo’s Momentum Into a Winning Streak

Coming off a 130-117 win against the Sacramento Kings, the Miami Heat are looking to build momentum in the second half of the season and avoid yet another play-in tournament appearance.

The team is on a West Coast trip, which started with a loss against the Golden State Warriors, before rebounding with a win against the Kings.

The team still plays the Portland Trail Blazers, the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns before they head back to the Kaseya Center.

The Heat are currently 23-21 and in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. They are one game back from the sixth-place Orlando Magic.