Sidelines with John Clay

Bam Adebayo working out with Kenny Payne at Louisville irks some U of L fans

Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo plays against the Boston Celtics during the first half of Game 6 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals playoff series, Friday, May 27, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo plays against the Boston Celtics during the first half of Game 6 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals playoff series, Friday, May 27, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) AP

There’s nothing like social media to throw gasoline on the fires of a rivalry.

Latest example: A picture on Twitter of Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell working out in front of new Louisville basketball coach Kenny Payne.

Payne is wearing his Louisville gear.

Mitchell, the former Louisville star, is wearing a Cardinals T-shirt.

But Adebayo is wearing a Kentucky T-shirt in what appears to be Louisville’s gym.

Uh-oh.

Of course, Adebayo was UK’s center for the 2016-17 season when Payne was an assistant on John Calipari’s staff. And Payne has always had a particularly close relationship with the Wildcats’ big men.

The response on social media, well, you guessed it.

Actually, I think it’s a good thing. It’s summer. Payne has ties to both schools. Who cares who wears what? Adebayo and Mitchell are obviously friends. They’re trying to get better. Good for them.

By the way, the first Kenny Payne vs. John Calipari battle is scheduled for Dec. 31 when Louisville visits Kentucky at Rupp Arena.

Update: Late Tuesday afternoon, Kentucky men’s basketball tweeted this picture of Adebayo:

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This story was originally published June 29, 2022 at 11:20 AM.

John Clay
Lexington Herald-Leader
John Clay is a sports columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader. A native of Central Kentucky, he covered UK football from 1987 until being named sports columnist in 2000. He has covered 20 Final Fours and 42 consecutive Kentucky Derbys. Support my work with a digital subscription
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