BOLZANO, Italy (AP) — Overall World Cup champion Federica Brignone will make her return to ski racing on Tuesday, nine months after a severe injury but she admits it’s still too early to say whether she will be able to compete in next month’s Winter Olympics.
Brignone broke multiple bones in her left leg in April, following what was the best season in her career.
After two surgeries and months of rehab, she returned to the snow in November. And the Italian confirmed on Monday that she would be at the start gate for the World Cup giant slalom in Kronplatz the following day — 292 days after her injury.
“For me it’s really fantastic to be here and to be competing tomorrow,” a clearly emotional Brignone said. “What better place than in Italy, at home, it’s a slope that I really like, it’s a race that I’ve always liked, obviously it certainly won’t be like other years.
“I’m not here to test myself, but to test my mind, my body, my leg above all. And I’m definitely not here for a great result, but for a great result for myself. It’s something special to already be here … being here is already a great success, so whatever happens will still be fantastic.”
Brignone, who hasn’t “had a day without pain” since the injury, said she had only spent 13 days serious training.
The 35-year-old has won a silver and two bronzes at the Olympics and these would be her fifth Games — if she returns in time.
“Probably I always believed, otherwise I wouldn’t be here,” Brignone said. “But it’s still difficult. I think no athlete can say they will be at the Olympics until they put their poles out the start gate, in our sport especially, anything can happen … I still don’t know.
“When I put my giant slalom skis on, it was a disaster at the beginning. Then I tried again in December and it was only then that I began to see a bit of light.”
At 34 last season, Brignone became the oldest women’s winner in World Cup history — a record recently broken by 41-year-old Lindsey Vonn.
As well as the overall title, Brignone also won the downhill and giant slalom crystal globes last season, and was second in the super-G rankings.
She hopes to compete in all three at the Milan Cortina Games, where she will be one of Italy’s four flag bearers.
Brignone admitted in October that she didn't think she would “be able to get back to exactly how I was before.”
Women’s Alpine skiing at the Feb. 6-22 Olympics will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
FILE - Italy's Federica Brignone skis during a women's giant slalom run at the World Cup Finals, Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Sun Valley, Idaho. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, file)
FILE - Overall World Cup skiing champion Italy's Federica Brignone is carried away on a toboga after she broke multiple bones in her left leg during a giant slalom crash at the Italian championships in the Lusia ski area, in Val di Fassa, Italy, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Elvis Piazzi, file)
FILE - Italy's Federica Brignone reacts on the podium after winning the women's World Cup overall at the World Cup Finals, Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Sun Valley, Idaho. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, file)
MIAMI (AP) — Erik Spoelstra had a very clear message to those who didn't like how the final minutes of Bam Adebayo's 83-point game played out.
Put simply, the Miami Heat coach doesn't care.
“I apologize to absolutely no one,” Spoelstra said Thursday. “Period.”
Adebayo's 83-point game — now the No. 2 single-game total in NBA history, 17 behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100 and two ahead of Kobe Bryant's 81 — was one unlike any other. The Heat center took 43 shots in a 150-129 win on Tuesday over the Washington Wizards, made an NBA-record 36 free throws and had an NBA-record 43 tries from the foul line.
And the last few minutes Tuesday were a circus, with the Wizards as much as quadruple-teaming Adebayo — who was still getting the ball — and the Heat fouling Washington players on four occasions in the final moments to extend the game and get their center more opportunities to score.
Adebayo said he didn't see a double-team from the Wizards until the fourth quarter, when he already was up to 70 points.
His takeaway: Blame the Wizards for him getting on the roll of a lifetime.
“I’ve got 70 with, what, nine minutes left to go in the game? You think I’m not going for it? ... Who would be like, ‘You know, coach, just take me out.’ Yeah, right," Adebayo said. "You can’t be mad at that. If you are mad, I don’t care. Because a lot of people, if they did play, they never had a chance to get that close to chasing greatness. And if you get that close to chasing greatness, that’s the point of chasing it -- so you can surpass it.”
Lost in the hubbub about the final minutes, Spoelstra insisted, is this: Adebayo had 31 points in the first quarter, 43 by halftime, 62 through three quarters, 70 with 9:05 left and 77 with 3:26 remaining. The first instance of Miami fouling to get the ball back for Adebayo was with 1:40 left.
“There was a moment, and when there’s a moment in time like that, it’s carpe diem," Spoelstra said, using the Latin term for “seize the day.” "You have to go for it, and that was just thrilling. And I’m honored that we were all able to be a part of it.”
A handful of coaches around the NBA — including the Los Angeles Clippers' Tyronn Lue and Denver's David Adelman among them — have indicated they had no problem with the Heat using the final minutes to help add to what was already an enormous point total.
Adelman said Adebayo is as good of a professional as there is in the league, and to take a night “and go a little bit crazy” was entertaining.
“He made the extra pass in the fourth quarter when he had 60. He blocked a shot. He was still playing the game,” Adelman said. “When you get to 70, I'm sorry, man, like all bets are off. ... I thought it was really cool.”
Wizards coach Brian Keefe didn't seem thrilled Tuesday with how the last few minutes went. On Thursday in Orlando, before his team played the Magic, Keefe didn't reminisce.
“We're focused on today,” Keefe said.
Spoelstra said he spoke with Adebayo before the game about a need to have some urgency. The Heat played with several of their top players — Norman Powell, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins and Kel'el Ware among them — out of that game with injuries.
"It's a Tuesday night game against a team where they’re not playing for anything, where their organization is trying to lose," Spoelstra said. “We’ve already lost a game in that kind of situation. ... I spoke to Bam about I want, as our best player and team captain, for him to be locked in and ready. And, he sure was.”
He was referring to how the Heat lost a game to Utah last month, a matchup in which the Jazz — who keep their first round pick this year if it's in the top eight of the draft — held out some of their top players in the fourth quarter and won anyway.
“I’ve seen people say you’ve got to be a purist. I’m a Darwinist in this league," Spoelstra said. "Really, you can do anything you want in this game. You can approach it however you want. ... There’s nothing wrong with what they’re doing. If you can tank and get a great draft pick, I don’t care. You could do anything in this league. You can approach it however you want.”
Spoelstra acknowledged that leaving Adebayo in toward the end of a decided game — Adebayo checked out for good with 1:08 left — was unusual, and it was. He also said memorable moments are “what our fans want to see” and that “a really magical night just appeared out of nowhere.”
In his mind, that doesn't merit any apologies.
“It doesn’t take away anything from our organization, how we feel about Bam, how special that night was," Spoelstra said. "Our fan base is electrified by this moment.”
And so was the head coach, who made clear that he'll do anything for Adebayo.
The Heat got blown out at home by a bad Sacramento team on Dec. 6, one day before Spoelstra played host to his annual 5K run to benefit Nicklaus Children's Hospital. The run was starting in the wee hours of a Sunday morning. Adebayo had only nine points in the loss to the Kings, and the Heat were sliding.
Without being asked, Adebayo showed up to help that morning. Spoelstra was blown away by the gesture.
“He was there, not to run, just to support," Spoelstra said. "Just to support and let people know that he was supporting this cause. That says enough about him as a human being. That’s why I’ll do anything for him as a competitor and as his head coach.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo shoots a free throw during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo clashes with Washington Wizards guard Sharife Cooper during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo warms up before a game against the Milwaukee Bucks Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra hugs center Bam Adebayo (13) as he leaves the game after scoring 83 points, the second-highest single game total in NBA history, in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
