Did Bam Adebayo disrespect Jaylen Brown with postgame comment?

Dec 30, 2019; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) warms up before the game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Bam Adebayo’s comments after his team’s victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday may not have been a coincidence.

Speaking with reporters following a 118-107 win in Game 1, the Miami Heat big man Adebayo commented on the second-half explosion that helped the Heat turn an eight-point halftime deficit into a 17-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

“I feel like our energy shifted,” said Adebayo, per Celtics writer Keith Smith.

Adebayo’s comment seems harmless enough at first glance. But “the energy is about to shift” is a famous quote from Celtics star Jaylen Brown that has since become a rallying cry for Boston. Brown tweeted that message at the end of January when the Celtics were just 26-25 on the season. They then proceeded to go on a huge run to climb up the East standings.

Brown has also fully embraced his “energy shift” aesthetic, even turning it into a T-shirt.

Adebayo had some other light-hearted moments in Tuesday’s postgame press conference as well. But if this was indeed a swipe at Brown and the Celtics, they will have several more opportunities this series to shift the energy right back on Adebayo and the Heat.