The NBA is letting Bam Adebayo walk away from his Las Vegas altercation with Tyler Herro without a fine or suspension.
A league spokesperson told Joe Vardon of The Athletic that after the league spoke with the players involved and the NBPA, it was decided that no further action would be taken.
“After discussing with the players involved and the NBPA,” the spokesperson said, “everyone would prefer to move on from this unfortunate circumstance, and no further action will be taken by the league.”
The incident reportedly happened Friday morning inside a gym at the Resorts World Casino. According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Adebayo confronted Herro over critical comments his former teammate had made on social media.
Shelburne reported that Adebayo didn’t like Herro’s response when confronted, and the exchange turned physical, with the Heat big man striking Herro in the chin area. Herro reportedly had to be held back from retaliating.
Vardon reported that the Bucks, the Heat and the players’ union all declined comment on the situation. Earlier in the week, Herro told Shelburne that he wanted to “move on” from the incident and was focused on getting a fresh start with his new team.
The league’s decision stands out because the NBA usually hands down fines or suspensions for fights, but this case came in the offseason and away from game action. There isn’t much recent precedent for a dispute like this.
Bobby Portis was suspended eight games by the Bulls after punching Nikola Mirotic in 2017, while Draymond Green was fined but not suspended by the Warriors after punching Jordan Poole in 2022. In both of those situations, the league left the discipline decision to the team, though those incidents involved teammates and happened during practices.
The NBA’s ruling does not prevent the Heat from issuing their own punishment, but Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reported that Miami does not plan to fine or suspend Adebayo.
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