During an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Ashley Nicole Ross, Heat center Bam Adebayo opened up about the grudge he holds to this day against Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.
Adebayo was cut from Team USA by Popovich before the team finished seventh in the 2019 World Cup. However, he was named to the 2020 Olympic squad that won gold in Tokyo. Adebayo was asked if he had any resentment or animosity for Popovich, who was still serving as Team USA’s coach when he won his first Olympic gold medal.
“Definitely animosity, because I felt like I should have been on that team,” Adebayo said. “But when we got to the Olympics I had to let my animosity go because he was my coach at the time.
“But when we left, I let him know from the time being in this Olympics we cool and you my coach, I’m your player … but when we leave, just know, I’ll never forget that you cut me.”
The 24-year-old big man said Popovich understood where he was coming from. He also said to this day he uses Popovich cutting him as motivation every time the Heat play the Spurs.
“Whenever we play the Spurs, he will never forget that he cut me,” Adebayo said.
After getting cut from the 2019 team, Adebayo was named to his first All-Star game in 2020 and has been named all-defensive second-team in the last two seasons. He averaged a career-high 18.7 points per game this past season.
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