MIAMI — The NBA on Friday announced that Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo has been selected as the league’s 2026 Social Justice Champion, recognizing his efforts to promote equality and support underserved communities.
The honor comes with the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy and a $100,000 donation from the NBA to Adebayo’s Bam, Books & Brotherhood Foundation.
“I accept this award not just for myself, but for every voice that has gone unheard and every person working behind the scenes to create a more just and compassionate world,” Adebayo said in a statement.
Adebayo becomes the first player in Heat franchise history to win the award.
The league also announced Friday that Adebayo earned a spot on the 2025-26 NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
He received 10 First Team votes and 51 Second Team votes, marking the sixth All-Defensive selection of his career — the most in Heat franchise history, according to a news release from the team.
Adebayo started all 73 games he played this season, averaging 20.1 points, 10 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.18 steals in 32.4 minutes per game. He became just the third player in franchise history to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in a season, joining Alonzo Mourning and Shaquille O’Neal.
He also led Miami in rebounds for a franchise-record seventh straight season and recorded at least 80 steals for the fifth consecutive year, joining only Dwyane Wade, Grant Long and Glen Rice in team history to accomplish that feat.
With Adebayo anchoring the defense, the Heat held opponents under 100 points 21 times and finished among the NBA’s top defensive teams for the seventh straight season.
Adebayo passed Udonis Haslem for the most defensive rebounds in franchise history on March 3 and is now just 35 boards short from tying the team’s all-time rebounding record.
He also scored 83 points on March 10 at the Kaseya Center in a 150–129 win over the Washington Wizards, the second-highest point total in NBA history.
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