Yahoo Finance Jimmy Butler fines Heat teammate Bam Adebayo $500 for every game he doesn't attempt a 3-pointer
Bam Adebayo is not the ideal center for an NBA team in the year 2019. Which is to say he doesn’t shoot three-pointers. In fact, since making it to the pros in 2017, he’s attempted just 28 shots from behind the arc total. Four of them have gone in.
Jimmy Butler, the Heat superstar known for his intensity, is trying to change that. Not by getting in extra practice reps, or connecting Adebayo with a coach to help work on his stroke or even texting him some YouTube tutorials.
This is Jimmy Butler, after all. So the punishment for Adebayo’s lack of shooting must meet the standards of a man who once took on the Timberwolves’ starters in practice and dominated them with third-stringers before forcing his way to a new franchise.
And, boy, does it ever. For every game Adebayo plays without attempting a three-pointer, the 22-year-old on a rookie contract has to pay Butler $500. No exceptions.
The flip side? Butler is on the hook for the same amount should Adebayo take one. Those seem like pretty amazing odds for Butler given Adebayo’s career 14.3 field goal percentage from three.
For his part, Adebayo is totally game.
“Yeah, he’s making me a bet,” Adebayo told media in Miami. “It’s whatever. As long as we keep winning, I don’t really care about that.”
That being said, Adebayo did have a complaint about losing the bet against Washington on Friday night. En route to a career-high 24-point performance, Adebayo found himself all alone in the corner while Butler had the ball. Only Butler didn’t pass to his center, robbing him of the opportunity to win that evening’s bet.
Count 'em up!
7 slams for the big man last night! 😤 pic.twitter.com/4UuKAv3ypD— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 7, 2019
“If you see him wide open in the corner and I don’t throw him the ball, you know it’s because I don’t want to give him $500.” Butler joked.
The Kentucky product may have to wait a bit before attempting to win his money back from Butler, however.
Adebayo was placed on Miami’s injury report ahead of Saturday night’s matchup with the Chicago Bulls and is questionable after suffering a groin contusion against Washington.
Whenever he does take the floor next, look for him to space it out a bit more than usual.
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Blake Schuster is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at blakeschuster@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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