Bam Adebayo has drawn plenty of attention after revealing his top five NBA players of all time, with the Miami Heat center leaving LeBron James out of the list. For a player who spent years alongside James in the public conversation around greatness, it is a notable omission.
The point is not simply that James missed out. It is that Adebayo was direct about his respect for him, even after making a choice that will inevitably fuel debate among NBA fans.
Adebayo’s respect for James remains clear
Adebayo, who is 29 years old and 208 cm tall, said he is not at odds with James despite the omission. “I’m cool with Bron,” he said, adding: “I consider Bron like a brother, honestly. We’ve been Olympic teammates but even before that we’ve always had down-to-earth conversations.”
He also made clear that the relationship remains warm. “I’m happy for him,” Adebayo said. “You want what’s best for somebody. That’s really how you go from there.”
That matters because James and Adebayo have shared more than just a professional connection. They were Olympic teammates, and their conversations have continued around that bond rather than through any public tension.
Why the omission stands out
James is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever, so leaving him off a top five list is always going to get attention. Adebayo’s choice adds another public marker to the ongoing debate over where James sits in NBA history.
The timing also adds context. This summer, the Miami Heat were among several teams aggressively pursuing James after he informed the Los Angeles Lakers he would not return. He ultimately chose the Philadelphia 76ers, ending a free-agency sweepstakes that had drawn major interest across the league.
For Miami, that history makes Adebayo’s comments even more interesting. James had led Miami to back-to-back titles and four straight Finals appearances in previous years, so his influence on the franchise remains impossible to ignore.
What Adebayo’s list tells us
The exact order of Adebayo’s top five will be debated in the usual way, but the bigger story is the omission itself. When a player of James’ stature is left out, it says something about how another elite player sees the all-time conversation.
Even so, Adebayo’s tone was not dismissive. It was respectful, measured and personal. That is what makes the revelation land: he made his point without turning it into a slight.
For now, the list will keep the argument alive. And with James now at the Philadelphia 76ers, every new public comment from figures around the league only adds another layer to his place in basketball history.
