Miami Heat captain Bam Adebayo made history by becoming only the second player, after Dwyane Wade, to score 10,000 points wearing a Heat jersey.

He reached this milestone on Sunday night by scoring 24 points, helping Miami beat the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons 121-110.

Adebayo’s journey to this milestone shows how much his game has grown.

Drafted nine years ago from Kentucky, he was originally seen mainly as a defensive player and a “lob threat.”

Over the years, he has worked hard to improve his offense, averaging at least 18 points per game for six straight seasons.

His progress was clear on Sunday night, when he made four 3-pointers, matching the total from his previous two seasons combined and bringing his season total to 94.

Reflecting on his accomplishment, Adebayo emphasized the organization's faith in him. "Just shows the growth of my game," he stated.

"Obviously, this organization believes in me. I've been here that long so I can get 10K with the same team. And obviously, being in the history books behind somebody like D-Wade, it's a great accomplishment."

While Dwyane Wade's franchise record of 21,556 points remains a distant target, Adebayo is also making strides in other categories.

Adebayo currently stands second on the Heat's all-time rebounding charts, trailing only Udonis Haslem, the player he succeeded as captain.

He has an outside chance of catching Haslem's record by the end of the current season, needing 207 rebounds in the final 17 games, a record he has publicly expressed an interest in chasing.

Despite his offensive development and milestones, Adebayo remains the unquestionable anchor of Miami's defense.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra frequently champions him as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, underscoring that while his scoring is now vital to the team, his defensive prowess is unwavering.

"He came in not known necessarily as a scorer," Spoelstra noted. "He's worked and willed himself into that. And for this particular team, his scoring is really important."