The Miami Heat’s vaunted “culture” is often brought up in conversations about the organization, and there are some differing opinions about it among fans.
But when it comes to Heat star Bam Adebayo, he’s a believer in the culture, and he thinks that “if you’re not in it, you wouldn’t understand.”
Adebayo spoke about the topic during a conversation with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, referencing “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)” by Nas during the discussion.
“If I ruled the world, I wouldn’t change it,” Adebayo said. “The thing is, it’s like if you’re not in it, you wouldn’t understand. That’s the thing about Heat Culture. If you aren’t a part of it, then you don’t know what it’s like to be inside of the locker room or around the Heat organization.”
He continued.
“I wouldn’t change it,” he said.
Some fans see Adebayo as a Heat Lifer, someone who will spend his entire career with Miami. Since he’s seen in that regard, it’s only right that he’s a firm believer in the organization’s culture.
The culture of the Heat franchise is often defined by its conditioning, hard work and toughness, and sometimes, at least in recent years, the culture has also been defined by the team’s underdog mentality.
Miami has had some deep playoff runs that have stunned folks in recent seasons, and although the franchise is still trying to win its first NBA title since the Big 3 era, the Heat have established that they can’t be counted out even when their record is underwhelming.
They have also displayed an ability to turn overlooked players into legitimate NBA contributors, showing that they get the most out of their players.
Unfortunately, there was no magical run in store for Miami this season, as the team reached the playoffs but was swept in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Overall, this season was a forgettable one for Adebayo, who had a little bit of a regression offensively and wasn’t named an All-Star for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign.
He will look to bounce back in the 2025-26 season and help the Heat put together a more memorable campaign in the process, as there wasn’t a whole lot to smile about during the team’s most recent season. With any luck, the team’s culture will help it get back on track.
