Heat's Bam Adebayo earns massive praise from Rony Seikaly for breaking double-double record
03/03/2025 09:32 PM
MIAMI – The Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo achieved a milestone as during the game against the Washington Wizards on Monday night, he recorded his 222nd double-double, passing Rony Seikaly for the most in franchise history. As the Heat’s captain continues to make his mark in the team’s record books in a bevy of areas, Seikaly himself spoke about Adebayo passing his record.
Seikaly played with Miami from 1988-1994, which were the first years of the organization as well as serving as the first ever college draft pick for the team, taken with the ninth overall pick in the 1988 draft. He was no doubt an exceptional big-man for the team, as gave praise to Adebayo for being the quintessential “prototypical player that every team needs.”
“I think he's just like you’re a prototypical player that every team needs that kind of the glue that does all the work,” Seikaly said. “He works hard, doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, and doesn’t really need the ball to be successful in a team game. And those guys are a lot harder to find than it is, you know, guys that require the ball or require attention.”
Rony Seikaly speaks on Bam Adebayo as he's about to break his record for the most double-doubles in franchise history. #HeatNationpic.twitter.com/04hev4zqfb
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) March 4, 2025
Seikaly was at the Kaseya Center for the moment Adebayo broke the record that he held for 31 years, but also because it was the anniversary of when he collected a whopping 34 rebounds on March 3, 1993. Ironically enough, he did it against the Wizards (the Bullets at the time) who Miami faced Monday, where Adebayo obtained the mark.
The rebound that broke Rony Seikaly's franchise double-double record, witnessed by Rony Seikaly himself pic.twitter.com/nParBrAi8O
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 4, 2025
Heat’s Rony Seikaly on meeting Bam Adebayo for the first time
As the Heat look to get back their faith, Adebayo looks to lead them to that feeling as he got the record with just over 40 seconds left in the first half, getting his 10th rebound along with 12 points. He started at center Monday due to the injury to rookie Kel’el Ware, who has been a mainstay in the starting lineup, leading to Adebayo getting more opportunities on the glass.
The record-breaking rebound pic.twitter.com/frQEr7WGpp
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 4, 2025
Adebayo and Seikaly met for the first time recently as the Lebanese-born former star had nothing but good words for the 27-year-old. He would even shout out Adebayo’s performance at this past summer’s Paris Olympics where he obtained gold for the second time in his career.
“It was amazing to meet him,” Seikaly said, “First of all, I mean, I watched him play in the Olympics just this past summer, and I admired the hustle and the grit and everything that he brings to the game. And meeting him in person, he's a lot bigger than I thought, and I haven’t been around tall people for a while now. So I think that, you know, he’s a great character, a great person, very humble. Everything you like to see in an athlete. He's real.”
Rony Seikaly speaks on meeting Bam Adebayo, how's he like, and especially watching him during the Olympics. #HeatNationpic.twitter.com/MULFeHwEVf
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) March 4, 2025
Heat’s Rony Seikaly on having the double-double record for 31 years
Seikaly originally thought that the record had been broken due to the “pedigree of talent” that has come through the Miami organization.
“When I set that record, I never thought that it’s going to come this far,” Seikaly said. “So to me, it’s a blessing that I’ve been able to carry this far with all the great players that have played in this organization. It didn’t really come to my mind…I really thought that record had been broken in the past, I just didn’t know any better.”
“And then I started looking at more of the numbers, and I’m still holding some other numbers, and I’m telling you, like for somebody that came here early on and as the first player picked in this franchise to still be holding records with the pedigree of talent that has come to this organization is just, I’m really blessed,” Seikaly continued. “Thankfully, I’m alive to see it. Basically, you know, usually you’re long gone.”
At any rate, Seikaly remains an unforgettable player while Adebayo will continue to contend for many Heat records at such a young age.
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