With NBA star Bam Adebayo done with his basketball season, he has time to enjoy the NHL Playoffs with his girlfriend, WNBA star A’ja Wilson, but his support for his team drew the ire of critics.
The couple appeared in a photo at the Las Vegas game, proudly wearing Golden Knights NHL jerseys, as the home team looked to put itself even closer to the Stanley Cup Finals.
They did just that, with a 5-3 comeback win to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the West Final. The Golden Knights trailed 3-0 after the first period, but were able to score three times in the second, before adding another two, including an empty netter in the final period.
Vegas’ Tomas Hertl broke the tie at the 8:21 mark in the third period, to help his team pull ahead, and ultimately claim Game 3. They’re now one win from playing for the Stanley Cup.
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However, Bam’s team loyalty came into question, since the NBA All-Star currently suits up for the Miami Heat, who have a nearby NHL team, the Florida Panthers.
“Bam… wyd,” the Panthers social media crew wrote, sharing SportsCenter’s photo of Bam with his girlfriend decked out in their Vegas gear.
The X post drew over 21,000 likes and multiple comments calling out Bam rocking a Golden Knights jersey in support of a hockey team outside of Florida.
“Bam doesn’t realize this is like a @MiamiHEAT fan repping a @dallasmavs jersey,” one commenter replied to the Panthers’ post.
“Trade him for Giannis NOW,” someone commented, while another said, “wtf Bam lol.”
Others commented on the photo, “Nobody on the @OrlandoMagic would do this to you,” “Bandwagon just like everyone else,” and “Bam, how could you???”
“Bam will be the star player for Sin City Spades after the expansion in 2030,” someone joked about his support for the Golden Knights.
Bam, who achieved that historic 83-point game this NBA season, is currently enjoying time off after the Miami Heat failed to qualify for the postseason, losing a play-in tournament game to the Charlotte Hornets weeks ago.
Some commenters cleverly called him a “Bamwagon fan,” but the Florida Panthers also failed to qualify for the NHL Playoffs, so Bam didn’t have a nearby team to root for in the hockey postseason.
He has good reason to attend hockey games in Las Vegas: his girlfriend, A’ja Wilson, currently stars for the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, the reigning champions, so she’s likely showing her support for the nearby hockey team during their playoff run.
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For more about the NBA and NHL, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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