You better believe the Miami Heat are going to look at the Philadelphia 76ers through a different lens throughout the 2025-2026 NBA season. After spending the offseason pursuing LeBron James, the Heat were admittedly confident they would land the superstar forward. In the end, he chose the Sixers.
Sure, the Heat could say "Oh well," and move on. But would that really be part of the tough-guy culture they proudly represent? Of course not. Miami's star center Bam Adebayo played his role as expected, after getting asked about facing James and the Sixers several times in 2026-2027.
Bam Adebayo reveals his message for LeBron James
"Like I told him in the message, I'm going to bust his [expletive]," Adebayo said with a smile to reporters this week, according to the Miami Herald. "So, it's going to be an exciting season. I'm excited for the East. We got a whole new turnaround in the East. So, it's going to be exciting this year."
The 29-year-old center watched his team create some major changes this offseason. Some guys he shared the court with over the past few seasons, including Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, and Kasparas Jakučionis, went to the Miami Bucks.
In return, the Heat landed Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr. Antetokounmpo was a blockbuster target for the Heat dating back to last season. Leading up to the February deadline in 2026, the Heat made it clear that they wanted to be the team to take Giannis out of Milwaukee, and they made it happen. Many believed that the Heat surpassed the Sixers with that move, but Philadelphia put the entire Eastern Conference on notice with their offseason.
Don't sleep on the Sixers
LeBron James is a notable addition for Philadelphia. Not only did he prove he could still be a star-level scorer at the top of the pecking order with the Los Angeles Lakers at age 41, but LeBron will get a chance to share the court with several All-NBA players and put his elite IQ and playmaking to work as a complementary piece.
The Sixers also swapped out the underwhelming Paul George for the MVP-caliber Jaylen Brown. Just a couple of postseasons ago, Brown was hoisting the NBA Finals MVP trophy in Celtics green. Now, he'll suit up for the Sixers, sharing the court with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and LeBron. Bam and the Heat feel like they still have the edge. Hopefully, LeBron posts the screenshots on the bulletin board.
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