Forward While center Bam Adebayo wasn’t born in Miami, Udonis Haslem was. But as the 26-year-old Adebayo gears up for his sixth season with the Miami Heat, he aspires to follow in the footprints of Haslem as a prominent figure in South Florida’s community and a voice for the region.
Adebayo described Miami as a “home away from home” on Saturday during a break from his fourth annual youth basketball clinic at Riviera Preparatory School in Kendall. “The community took me in,” he added. “I travel to the inner city, and the youngsters are wearing my jersey. Thank you for what you do in our community and in Miami, people have said to me when they see me out and about in the neighborhood. simply assuming that Udonis Haslem role. I feel like the city accepts me like UD, despite the fact that he is a local.
Adebayo, who was born and raised in North Carolina, has recently been using his platform to make a difference in the Miami area. Adebayo paid a visit to the critical care children at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital on Friday before leading a basketball clinic for campers in third through twelfth grades on Saturday.
As basketball players, we have the power to influence someone’s course in life simply by meeting with them and exchanging a few words, according to Adebayo. “You can be the strongest motivator for them without even realizing it. Therefore, just having the chance to visit, speak with children, and observe the kinds of things they experience helps to put things into perspective.
Haslem is in an interesting position because he hasn’t yet said if he’ll play in his 20th NBA season. He played with his hometown Heat for the entirety of his NBA career, helping them to three NBA titles while being the team’s all-time leading rebounder.
Adebayo, who was selected by Miami with the 14th overall choice in 2017, is already the Heat player on the current roster with the second-longest stay, trailing only Haslem by more than a decade of seasons. While some of it is beyond Adebayo’s control, he hopes to play with the Heat for the duration of his NBA career like Haslem has.
Adebayo, who signed a five-year, $163 million maximum contract extension with the Heat in 2020, is owed $30.4 million in salary for the upcoming season. “If I could, I would,” he added. “Just having the chance to spend my entire career in this community. The majority of the neighborhood has seen me mature. becoming something greater after getting selected at random with the 14th overall choice in the draft. When people develop together with you, it’s just one of those awesome things.
Adebayo’s name has however surfaced in trade rumors this offseason as the Heat pursued disgruntled Brooklyn Nets superstar forward Kevin Durant for a portion of the summer. Multiple league sources claim that the Heat has not included Adebayo in proposals for Durant and is now unwilling to do so, despite the fact that the Nets would be interested in Adebayo in a Durant trade.
It should be noted that unless the Nets move Ben Simmons to the Heat or another team, Adebayo is now ineligible to be included in a deal with the Nets due to NBA salary cap regulations. Due to the Designated Rookie Extension provision, this has happened: A team cannot have two players signed to that type of contract who were acquired via trade.
It’s not surprising that the Nets would be interested in Adebayo as a rising star who was on the verge of making his first All-NBA Team and was selected to the All-Defensive Second Team for the third consecutive season this past season. But it’s noteworthy that the Heat wants Adebayo so badly that it hasn’t yet included him in Durant trade talks.
When asked what it meant for the Heat to keep him off the table in trade talks thus far in the offseason, Adebayo responded, “It’s the faith they got in me. “I believe they are aware of their resources. You get a tough individual who won’t back down from a challenge and won’t abandon his teammates. Simply mutual regard exists. I think a lot of teams are interested in me, but it’s just out of respect. Additionally, Pat Riley, Micky Arison, and Andy Elisburg all have faith in me that we can take the next step and win another championship for this community.