Miami Heat president Pat Riley finally broke his silence on the reported altercation between Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro that happened during a Las Vegas practice on July 10. And he didn’t hold back much.
Riley appeared on The Dan LeBatard Show on Monday and was asked directly about the incident that got out on social media quickly. He said he didn’t like what he saw or read, and he made it clear the whole thing traced back to something pretty dumb.
What actually happened between Bam and Tyler
According to reports, the tension started when Herro posted something on Instagram that rubbed Adebayo the wrong way. Then things escalated during a practice in a hotel gym in Vegas. One thing led to another and Adebayo reportedly punched Herro. Neither the team nor the league has confirmed that part officially, but Riley didn’t deny it either.
“I didn’t like it for Bam, I didn’t even know he was upset because I read it, and I didn’t like it, I didn’t like what I read,” Riley said. “As I say, social media has consequences, and so he got offended by it, and I don’t think they had time to talk about it or anything like that. But it happened.”
Riley also downplayed the fight a bit, calling it something that happens when you have two competitive guys around each other all the time. He said he was sorry it happened, more sorry for Adebayo specifically since he was the one who took the swing, but he didn’t seem too worried about long-term damage.
Riley on the state of their relationship now
“When you start going on X and start responding to somebody who’s criticizing you in some way and who’s on a burner phone or however that happened turned into one screenshot, things can happen, and so that’s the world that we live in right now, and it seems like there’s more vitriol than there’s ever been,” Riley said.
The league looked into it but decided there was nothing worth pursuing. Riley said it’s over with, and somewhere down the line he expects the two to patch things up. Of course none of that matters much now because Herro is in Milwaukee. He was part of the blockbuster Giannis Antetokounmpo trade that sent the Bucks superstar to Miami. So Herro and Adebayo won’t have to share a locker room anymore.
That might make moving on a little easier. Or maybe not. Either way, Riley made it sound like the Heat are ready to focus on what’s ahead.
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