The Miami Heat are headed back to the NBA playoffs following their 123-114 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, and are now primed for a first-round matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As the first No. 10 seed ever to make the postseason after their play-in tournament run, the Heat are playing with house money, and despite being a heavy underdog, don’t seem too worried about at least one player on the Eastern Conference’s one-seeded Cavs.

“I don’t give a f— about Max Strus,” Bam Adebayo told reporters when asked about the guard on Sunday.

For context, Strus played with Adebayo and the Heat for three seasons before signing a 4–year, $63 million contract with Cleveland in the summer of 2023.

Though the comment from Miami’s center seemed a bit tongue-in-cheek, as he ultimately flashed a smile, it still adds a layer to what could shape up to be quite an interesting first-round matchup.

Bam Adebayo’s NSFW Dismissal Of Max Strus Has Fans Stunned

The Miami Heat will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, and the series features a reunion as well. Cavaliers guard Max Strus spent three seasons with the Heat from 2020 to 2023, but Bam Adebayo doesn’t particularly care about going up against his former teammate. The top-seeded Cavaliers are heavy favorites against the Heat, anyway, but Strus’ presence might give them another advantage. He could provide some valuable input to the coaching staff about his former team, and Adebayo had an interesting response when reporters asked him about it at practice on Sunday. “I don’t give a (expletive) about Max Strus,” Adebayo said, via Heat Culture on X.

Adebayo’s reaction there surprised NBA fans. “Feels like a wild stray,” one fan felt this reaction was uncalled for. “Yes, we need more of this in the NBA. Bring it back,” another fan loved to hear Adebayo be this dismissive of his former teammate. “He will when they are gentlemen’s swept,” a Cavaliers fan believes Adebayo will care about Strus after the Heat lose in five games. “All this talk to get swept,” another Cavaliers fan ridiculed Adebayo by stating he’s about to get swept. “Save this clip for when Strus goes 7/10 from 3 today,” a fan expects Struss to go off against the Heat in Game 1 after hearing what Adebayo said.

“I hope this is the start of an intense rivalry,” one fan hopes that this turns into a spicy rivalry. This is the first time ever that the Cavaliers and the Heat are facing off in the playoffs. This could have become quite a rivalry if the Heat were as good now as they were during Strus’ tenure. The Heat made the Conference Finals in 2022 and then the NBA Finals in 2023. Strus was a starter for both of those magical playoff runs and left to join the Cavaliers after the Heat lost to the Denver Nuggets in the Finals. Strus averaged 10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.4 steals per game during his time with the Heat. He’ll now look to orchestrate their downfall when the Cavaliers face off against them in Game 1 at Rocket Arena on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.