“Why did you pick my name?" - Bam Adebayo calls out NBA insider for labeling him as next benchwarmer after Joel Embiid

Center Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat criticized ESPN's Brian Windhorst on Thursday for his forecast that he will be benched against South Sudan. Windhorst claimed Adebayo's minutes might get cut short so other players can play on the court at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

However, Adebayo proved him wrong during their rematch against the African team. The Heat star was stellar during his off-the-bench performance. He finished the game with 18 points and seven rebounds on 80% shooting from the field, helping the team get the 103-86 win. The former University of Kentucky standout also collected two blocks during the game.

Windhorst predicted that Adebayo would get benched in exchange for Jayson Tatum's playing time. Unfortunately, head coach Steve Kerr trusted the Miami center since he played 20 minutes. Joel Embiid, their starting center in their exhibition games, registered a DNP against South Sudan.

After the game, The Athletic's Joe Vardon reported Adebayo called out Windy during his post-game interview.

"[Adebayo] opened his news conference by admonishing a reporter [Windhorst] for the mere suggestion that Adebayo might sit so Tatum could get a chance. Why did you pick my name?" Vardon wrote about Adebayo. "My accolades don’t stand up?"

Adebayo proved he can adapt to any role and even be reliable for Team USA depending on who they're playing against. His game against South Sudan was better than his first performance this year. In his game against Serbia, the center only had four points and two rebounds.

The national team is scheduled to play against Puerto Rico on Saturday, and Adebayo looks ready for any role that Kerr asks of him. This isn't the first time the three-time All-Star called out Windy for his benching prediction.

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Bam Adebayo trolled Windhorst's benching prediction

Team USA prepared against South Sudan after playing against them in their exhibition game where they barely won. Their preparation was impeccable as they addressed their size and agility concerns. This led Kerr to bench a center, which wasn't Bam Adebayo.

However, before the game, Windhorst shared the possibility of the national team benching the Heat center.

"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..." Windy said.

The five-time All-Defensive star saw what Windy had to say about him and trolled him on X (formerly Twitter) with a 50 Cent GIF.

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Team USA has been on a tear, and Adebayo has been an important player for the team.

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