Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo and Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson were photographed in the crowd at Game 3 of the Western Conference finals between the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche wearing Golden Knights jerseys, and the image prompted disapproval from the Florida Panthers.
The Panthers responded to the post by writing, “Bam… wyd” with a wilted flower emoji, according to the social-media exchange that surfaced after the game.
Adebayo had previously displayed visible support for the Panthers. He wore a custom No. 13 jersey and banged the Panthers’ drum before Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final last year, and he celebrated on social media when the Panthers won the Cup.
Following the photo, the three-time NBA All-Star posted a video on X tagging the Panthers with the caption, “don’t ever disrespect my loyalty.” In the video he showed a Panthers jersey and said, “I just want everybody to know. …” as he clarified where his fandom stood postgame.
The Panthers later approved of Adebayo’s video, writing, “Bam forever a real one.” The “somebody” Adebayo referenced when explaining why he did not wear the Panthers jersey to the game is likely Wilson, whom he and Adebayo confirmed their relationship in February 2025 after being linked since the 2024 Paris Olympics.
On the ice, Vegas won Game 3 by a 5-3 score and took a 3-0 lead in the series against Colorado.
