"Fined the nicest guy in NBA" - Fans erupt over Bam Adebayo's $50,000 fine for using 'profane' language towards referee

On Friday, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo put up a last-second 3 in an attempt to win the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Adebayo missed, and the Heat lost 106-104, but he believed Julius Randle made illegal contact on the closeout.

This led to Adebayo to approach referee Kevin Cutler after the game. However, his interaction with Cutler appeared to strike a nerve, as the All-Star big man was fined $50.000 afterward:

"Miami Heat center-forward Bam Adebayo has been fined $50,000 for making inappropriate contact with and directing profane language toward a game official, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations," NBA Communications posted on X.

The announcement of the fine drew reactions from fans who sided with Adebayo:

"Yall fined like the nicest guy in the nba because your officials are some corrupt cheating a**es!!! All he was trying to do is ask your corrupt ref why they kept cheating the whole game !!! Yall suck," one fan tweeted.

"NBA is cooked," another fan tweeted.

"No wonder the nba is down the drain," another fan said.

"Joe dumars is attempting to destroy generational wealth," one online user claimed.

"Inappropriate contact? That’s harassment / assault ain’t it?" another online user asked.

"And they wonder why ratings down," another online user commented.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Adebayo urged referees to engage in discussions with players rather than "walking away." He also suggested that officials should face consequences for failing to communicate.

Bam Adebayo gets full support from Erik Spoelstra in post-game interview

It wasn't just fans who spoke in Adebayo’s defense. In his postgame interview, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra also backed his player:

"Bam got fouled. League, don’t fine me. I'm not doing histrionics here. I’m fully in control," Spoelstra said. "At any point during the game, that’s a foul."

Spoelstra credited his team’s defense for putting them in a position to win and noted that Adebayo was not the first option in the final play. However, he remained adamant that his big man absorbed illegal contact.