There is no doubt that it was a busy offseason for Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo as he won a gold medal with Team USA, which is his second. On top of that, the Heat star also signed a big contract extension which exemplifies the idea that Adebayo will be a focal point of the team for years to come.
Adebayo now enters an upcoming season that he looks to be his best yet coming off an historic offseason to say the least. In terms of one word to describe his summer, he would say “exciting” according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Looking back at Paris, Adebayo became the first player in franchise history to win multiple gold medals.
Heat's Bam Adebayo on historic Olympics run with Team USA
Even with how stacked Team USA was besides Adebayo this year featuring such players as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and other stars, he still stood out from the bunch bringing elite defense and offensive outbursts when needed. When speaking about his eventful offseason, he would also call his run in the Olympics “historic.”
“Obviously, having an extension, being able to get extended, that’s a great feeling,” Adebayo said. “As for the Olympics, that’s one of the most historic things that I’ve done — being part of a team that is compared to the ‘Dream Team.’ To be able to be part of a team where you got three for sure first-ballot Hall of Famers (Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James) coming together to do one last accomplishment together, to be a part of that … you can’t really put that into words.”
Adebayo was not the only Heat representation in the Olympics as head coach Erik Spoelstra was an assistant coach on Team USA where the two embraced after the tournament ended with USA beating France in the gold medal game. Heat teammate Nikola Jovic was also in the event being a part of Team Serbia who was awarded with the bronze medal.
With the contract extension and Olympics in the rear view mirror, he is now focused on this upcoming season and aims to improve after averaging 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 52.1 percent from the field. One aspect of his game that became a big storyline for fans and Adebayo was his improved shooting from the three-point line.
Bam Adebayo speaks on improved three-point shooting with Heat
It was evident he was working on it last season where he had a small streak of games towards the end of the season where he made at least one deep shot. It even was present in the Olympics where LeBron James made a joke that himself and Adebayo were the new “Splash Brothers.”
During the final 17 games of the regular season, Adebayo made 14 out of 28 attempts from beyond the arch which is 50 percent which is significantly higher than the 7.1 percent he had through his first 54 appearances in 2023. While there is no doubt he kept working on that during the offseason, Adebayo would say to The Miami Herald that it wasn't the only area he looked to get better at.
“I’m always looking to improve everything — it’s not just one thing specifically,” Adebayo said. “Obviously, everybody is going to point out the three-point shooting. But for me, it’s like decision making when you need to be able to make a play, read the game, being able to be the second coach on the floor besides your head coach. Being able to be, when we can’t hear [coach Erik Spoelstra] because he’s on the far end, being able to communicate and understand what the goal is throughout the game.”
“Like I said, everybody is going to look at my three-point shooting and be like, ‘Oh, that’s what he worked on.’ Of course I did,” Adebayo continued. “It’s due for development. Any great player wants to develop to be a three-level scorer, and that’s what I strive to be. But for me, it’s not really just one particular thing when it comes to development.”
Heat's Bam Adebayo looking to continue dominance on defense
The offensive side of the ball has always been a fascinating theme to watch for Adebayo since fans have got to see him working on his mid-range game on top of his work in the post. If there is one part of his arsenal that people do not worry about, it is his defense as some even say he's the best in the entire NBA in that area.
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Adebayo was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year along with San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama that ultimately went to Minnesota Timberwolves big-man Rudy Gobert which resulted in some debate even beyond Heat fans. While the 27-year old center lacked in the attractive statistic of blocks with 0.9 per game compared to Gobert's 2.1, Adebayo impresses in the advanced defensive metrics that stand him out from the rest.
Bam Adebayo entering second season as Heat's captain
One has to imagine Adebayo will continue to get credit for his defense as he's a five-time member of the NBA All-Defensive team, but whether that results in a Defensive Player of the Year award is a different story. However, Adebayo seems like the player where he would rather take an NBA championship any day over an individual award.
Winning is the main goal in mind for Adebayo who has experienced success with Miami going to three Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals in the last five seasons. It has not ended in the ultimate championship which next to Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier, and more, Adebayo looks to lead his team as captain again to a title.
“To me, being a leading man — to simplify it — means to win,” Adebayo said. “It doesn’t matter how that looks. But being the man in front and winning takes care of all the other things that people want to put a narrative behind or twist words. To me, leading man means to win.”
At any rate, the Heat look to bounce back after finishing as the eighth seed for the second straight season with a 46-36 record as they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.
