Bam Adebayo: born in New Jersey and balling in South Beach
NEWARK, N.J. — New Jersey has made a name for itself as a state that welcomes people of different cultures, walks of life and diverse ethnic groups to their shores. The state is a fertile ground of creativity, even if it somehow always gets overlooked for its next-door neighbor New York. This state has seen some illustrious sportsmen like Carl Lewis, Carli Lloyd and Shaquille O’Neal come from its shores and dominate the sports industry. The latest potential superstar sportsman from New Jersey might not be as famous as Shaq, but he’s certainly on his way. Edrice Femi Adebayo, better known to NBA fans as Bam Adebayo, plays for the two-time NBA champions Miami Heat and he has made a name for himself since he got drafted as the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Bam joined the Heat as the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, initially intended as a rookie to learn the ropes, and guide the franchise forward in the new couple of years. He did a decent job in his rookie season, as he averaged 6.9 points and 5.5 rebounds while appearing in 69 games for the Heat. He kept improving his statistics each season until he averaged a respectable 15.9 points, 5.1 assists, and 10.2 rebounds during the 2019–20 season. It happened to be a watershed year for Adebayo and the Heat, as they defied all the odds to reach the NBA Finals, where they fell to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Bam had a fantastic season, was honored with an NBA All-Defensive Second Team nod, came second in voting for the Most Improved Player Award and pulled the fifth-highest votes for the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Adebayo has been a protagonist in the Heat juggernaut. Along with Jimmy Butler, he dragged the much-maligned franchise to a playoff appearance in the COVID-19 affected 2020–21 season, where they bowed out in the first round. Adebayo upped his averages once again in the 2020–21 season, as he averaged a career high in points, steals, three points made, free throw percentage, and assists per game, showing that he hasn’t peaked yet and he’s just getting started.
Adebayo has come a long way since having a rough childhood running between caravans in South Carolina. Like he said on his personal Twitter page, “The Green Trailer That Made Me Who I Am. The Sleepless Nights, The Nights I Slept Great, Through The Pain And Struggle. As Well As Through All The Great Times We Had. THANK YOU.” He has had to bide his time, work harder than many peers and take each opportunity as they came to become one of the top big men in the NBA. As a teenager, he spent countless hours in the gym working on his core strength, his endurance, stamina and hooping ability. Adebayo never forgot where he came from, and he has undertaken numerous projects to give back to the community and give children the life that he couldn’t afford growing up.
He founded the Bam, Books & Brotherhood (BBB), a foundation created to serve the community and create viable career paths for those on the come up. Its primary focus is single-parent families, which Adebayo holds to heart, as he had to overcome that obstacle growing up as well. According to the NBA Players Association, his foundation aims to “change lives for single mothers while changing the future chances, choices, and challenges for children.” Pro athletes, and specifically NBA players, are unfairly dismissed as being unsympathetic to the commoner’s plight, but not Adebayo as this New Jersey-born superstar is a lover of the community and a man of the people. Remarkably, on the day when he signed his latest five-year contract with the Heat, he hosted his third annual Thanksgiving food drive in Liberty City, Fla. securing enough donations to feed more than 1,750 people. Adebayo has been a top-rated player in Miami, North Carolina and New Jersey, as he’s proof that stardom doesn’t change good people. Still, good people change the perception of celebrities.
“I believe now more than ever, we have to continue to give back, raise awareness and ask for the help of others in doing so – that’s a united front,” Adebayo told WPLG Local 10 in Miami.
That perfectly sums up Adebayo as a person first and a sportsman second.
Adebayo has done well for himself and his family at a mere 33 years of age, he has played great ball throughout his career and he got rewarded with a five-year contract worth $195 million with the Heat. Many players would be content with an All-Star appearance, with an all-defensive team nod and with an NBA finals appearance at 33, but Adebayo isn’t a lot of players, he still sees many things that he can improve on with his game, and he’s staying motivated for the next season. Adebayo is a name that people from New Jersey love to associate with, as he’s a giver, hooper and hard worker. New Jersey residents will be following Adebayo as he keeps competing with the best of the best in the best basketball league in the world, and the citizens of New Jersey couldn’t be more proud of this homegrown superstar.
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.
