Bam Adebayo
Born 1997 · Age 28
American professional basketball player, center/power forward for the Miami Heat. Played at Kentucky, 2017 first-round pick, multi-time All-Star and All-Defensive honoree, two-time Olympic gold medalist (2020/2024).
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Newark, New Jersey
Edrice Femi Adebayo born to Marilyn Blount and John Adebayo in Newark, NJ.
Given nickname 'Bam Bam'
At about age one his mother nicknamed him 'Bam Bam' after he flipped a coffee table like the Flintstones character Bamm-Bamm Rubble.
Moved to North Carolina with his mother
Adebayo relocated from Newark to North Carolina with his mother when he was seven.
Started playing organized basketball
According to his NBA bio, Adebayo first started playing basketball in 2010.
Junior season at Northside High — beastly averages
As a junior at Northside High School (Pinetown, NC) he averaged about 32.2 points and 21 rebounds per game.
Transferred to High Point Christian Academy
Following junior season, Adebayo transferred from Northside High to High Point Christian Academy for his senior year (2015–16).
Named MVP at Under Armour Elite 24 (2015)
Was named MVP at the 2015 Under Armour Elite 24 game and participated in NBPA Top 100 Camp.
AAU summer: Team Loaded NC; Adidas Uprising
Played for Team Loaded North Carolina alongside Dennis Smith Jr.; averaged ~15.0 points & 10.0 rebounds on the Adidas Uprising Circuit.
Committed to University of Kentucky
Announced commitment to Kentucky's 2016 recruiting class, joining future teammates Malik Monk and De'Aaron Fox.
High school performance vs Cypress Lakes (De'Aaron Fox)
Posted 26 points and 14 rebounds in a 91–63 victory over De'Aaron Fox and Cypress Lakes High School.
Rated five-star recruit (Class of 2016)
Rated as a five-star and a consensus top-10/15 national prospect (No. 5 by ESPN).
Senior season averages & state title run (High Point Christian)
As a senior averaged 18.9 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 1.4 BPG; led team to NCISAA state championship appearance.
Named 2016 North Carolina Mr. Basketball
Recognized as the top high school player in North Carolina for 2016.
Played in McDonald's All-American & Jordan Brand Classic
Participated in premier high-school all-star games for the class of 2016.
Kentucky vs Valparaiso — 16 points, 7 rebounds
Recorded 16 points and 7 rebounds in an 87–67 win (early season contribution at Kentucky).
SEC honors (SEC All-Freshman, Second-team All-SEC)
Named Second-team All-SEC and to the SEC All-Freshman team after the 2016–17 season.
Big game vs Missouri — 22 points, 15 rebounds
Recorded 22 points and 15 rebounds to help Kentucky defeat Missouri 72–62.
SEC Tournament Championship (Kentucky)
Helped Kentucky win the SEC Tournament title (grabbed nine rebounds in the March 12 win over Arkansas).
NCAA Tournament debut — 18 rebounds vs Northern Kentucky
Pulled down 18 rebounds in the Wildcats' first round 79–70 victory.
Sweet Sixteen — vs UCLA (12 rebounds)
Contributed 12 rebounds in Kentucky's Sweet Sixteen victory over UCLA.
Elite Eight: Kentucky falls to North Carolina
Scored 13 points and had 7 rebounds in Kentucky's 75–73 loss in the Elite Eight.
Declared for 2017 NBA Draft
Following his freshman season at Kentucky, Adebayo declared for the 2017 NBA Draft.
Signed with an agent (left Kentucky)
Signed with an agent approximately 20 days after declaring for the draft, officially ending his college eligibility.
Selected 14th overall in 2017 NBA Draft
Drafted in the 1st round, 14th overall, by the Miami Heat.
Signed rookie contract with Miami Heat; joined Summer League
Signed his rookie-scale contract and joined the Heat's 2017 Summer League roster.
NBA debut (Oct 18, 2017)
Made his NBA debut at Orlando.
HEAT rookie record: 10 offensive rebounds in single game
Set a Miami Heat rookie single-game record for offensive rebounds (10) on Oct. 30 vs Minnesota.
Launched philanthropic activity and BAM Foundation operations (active)
Has an Edrice Adebayo Foundation (BAM Foundation) focused on single parents and youth; held Bam Youth Clinics in Miami in successive summers and hosted toy drives in December 2017 and 2018.
Foundation toy drive (Dec 2017)
BAM Foundation hosted a toy drive with Good Hearts Foundation to benefit South Florida youth in December 2017.
Sprained right ankle — missed a game
Missed one game due to a sprained right ankle (March 27, 2018).
Threw ceremonial first pitch (Braves vs Marlins)
Threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the Atlanta Braves–Miami Marlins game at Marlins Stadium on July 23, 2018.
Career-high 21 rebounds vs Raptors
Grabbed a career-high (to date) 21 rebounds and scored 16 points in a 125–115 loss to Toronto.
Foundation toy drive (Dec 2018)
Hosted a second holiday toy drive in December 2018 to benefit South Florida children.
Career-high 22 points at Phoenix
Recorded a season/career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds in a 115–98 win over the Suns.
Perfect from field & line; 8-for-8 FG vs Cavaliers
Went a perfect 8-for-8 from the field and 5-for-5 from the line in a 118–94 win over Cleveland.
Played all 82 games in 2018–19 season
Appeared in all 82 regular-season games for Miami in 2018–19, averaging 8.9 points and 7.3 rebounds.
Scored 1,000th career NBA point
Hit the 1,000-career-point milestone (Mar. 8, 2019 vs. Cleveland).
Named to USA National Team training (World Cup) roster (training group)
Selected as a member of the USA National Team World Cup training group that trained for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
2019 Rising Star Honoree — Champions for Philanthropy
Named the 2019 Rising Star Honoree of the Champions for Philanthropy at The Most Valuable Philanthropist Basketball Awards.
Cut from final 2019 World Cup roster
Was ultimately not included on the final U.S. roster for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
First NBA triple-double (30-11-11)
Recorded his first career triple-double: 30 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in overtime vs Atlanta.
Second triple-double in 2019 season
Posted his second triple-double in four days: 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in OT vs Dallas.
Named Eastern Conference Player of the Week
Earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors for games Dec. 9–15 after averaging 20.0/11.3/8.7.
Helped lead Heat to 2020 NBA Finals
Key contributor as Miami reached the NBA Finals (their first finals trip since 2014); scored playoff-career-high 32 points in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs Boston.
Injured in 2020 NBA Finals Game 1; Heat lose series to Lakers
Suffered injury in Game 1 of the 2020 Finals; Miami lost the series 4–2 to the Lakers.
Father John Adebayo died in Nigeria
Adebayo's father passed away in 2020; Bam later publicly embraced his Nigerian heritage.
Third triple-double (20-10-10 vs Magic)
Recorded 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 113–92 win over Orlando.
Named to his first NBA All-Star Game
Selected as an Eastern Conference All-Star for the 2019–20 season.
Won NBA All-Star Skills Challenge
Captured the Skills Challenge during 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend.
Runner-up for 2020 Most Improved Player voting
Finished second in voting for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award for the 2019–20 season.
Named to NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2020)
Earned All-Defensive Second Team honors for the 2019–20 season.
Signed five-year, $163 million contract extension
Agreed to a five-year, $163,000,000 extension with the Miami Heat (Nov 28, 2020).
Career-high 41 points vs Brooklyn Nets
Scored a then career-high 41 points and added nine assists in a 128–124 loss to the Nets.
Triple-double; joint feat with Jimmy Butler
Logged a 16–12–10 triple-double; Butler also had a triple-double — they became the first teammates to register multiple triple-doubles in the same game more than once.
Finished 2020–21 season: All-Defensive Second Team again; high DPOY placement
Named to All-Defensive Second Team and placed fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting for 2020–21.
Named to 2020 U.S. Olympic men's basketball roster (Tokyo)
Announced as part of the U.S. Olympic team for Tokyo 2020 (the games were held in 2021 due to COVID); team went on to win gold.
Right thumb surgery — out 4–6 weeks
Underwent right-thumb surgery and was ruled out for at least 4–6 weeks.
Named to All-Defensive Second Team (third straight season)
Named All-Defensive Second Team for the 2021–22 season; placed fourth in DPOY voting.
Game 3 ECF: 31 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals vs Celtics
Posted 31 points on 15-of-22 shooting with 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals in a 109–103 Game 3 win over Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Heat eliminated in Game 7 of ECF
Miami lost a decisive Game 7 to the Boston Celtics; Adebayo had 25 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.
Season-high 38 points vs Washington Wizards
Scored a season-high 38 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 110–107 win.
2023 NBA Finals — Heat lose series; Adebayo leads team in averages
Despite Miami losing the Finals in 5 games, Adebayo averaged 21.8 PPG, 12.4 RPG and 3.2 APG in the series.
Named to 2023 NBA All-Star Game (second All-Star selection)
Selected to represent the Eastern Conference as an All-Star reserve.
Tied season-high 38, perfect free throws 14/14
Scored 38 on 12-of-16 shooting and went 14-for-14 from the free-throw line in a 116–111 win over Indiana.
First career playoff triple-double (20-10-10) vs Bucks
Recorded his first career postseason triple-double in a 128–126 overtime win to eliminate the top-seeded Bucks in Round 1.
Joined elite Heat postseason double-double list
Recorded a 20+ playoff double-double and became one of the few Heat players (with LeBron and Wade) to reach certain postseason milestones.
Near triple-double in ECF: 22-17-9 vs Celtics
Posted 22 points, 17 rebounds and 9 assists in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals; one of Miami's best postseason performances.
NBA Finals Game 1: 26 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists
Led the Heat in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals with 26 points and 13 rebounds, though Miami lost to Denver.
Triple-double vs Lakers (22-19-10)
Recorded 22 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists, plus two steals and two blocks in a 108–107 win over the Lakers.
Named to NBA All-Defensive First Team (2024); placed 3rd in DPOY voting
Earned his first All-Defensive First Team selection and placed third in Defensive Player of the Year voting for 2023–24.
Named Eastern Conference Player of the Week (Jan 8–14, 2024)
Earned his second career NBA Player of the Week award after averaging 23.0 PPG, 11.0 RPG and 5.8 APG that week.
Named to 2024 NBA All-Star Game (third All-Star selection)
Selected as an Eastern Conference reserve for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.
Buzzer-beating game-winning three vs Pistons
Drilled a buzzer-beating, game-winning three to lift the Heat to a 104–101 victory while posting 20 points and 17 rebounds.
Playoffs Game 2 (2024): 21 points, 10 rebounds vs Celtics
Recorded 21 points and 10 rebounds in a 111–101 Game 2 win in the first round vs Boston.
Tied LeBron James for most Heat playoff double-doubles (31)
Reached his 31st career playoff double-double, tying LeBron for the Heat franchise record.
Announced on 2024 U.S. Olympic Team (committed to Team USA)
After considering Nigeria, Adebayo was chosen for and committed to play with the U.S. Olympic team for Paris 2024.
Signed three-year, $165 million extension with Heat
Agreement announced on July 6, 2024 for a three-year contract worth $165M (contract extension).
Won Olympic gold medal with USA at Paris 2024
Contributed as part of the U.S. team that won gold in a rematch against France in the 2024 Olympic final.
Career earnings reported (cumulative) and net worth context
NBA profile notes Adebayo has made at least $139,919,502 playing professional basketball (reported cumulative earnings). Net worth estimates vary; this suggests significant lifetime earnings though net worth is lower than cumulative pay.
30-point outing & game-winning buzzer-beater vs Spurs
On Feb 1, 2025: 30 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks and a 19-foot buzzer-beating game-winner vs San Antonio.
Surpassed Rony Seikaly for most Heat career double-doubles (222)
Recorded a double-double (19 points, 15 rebounds) in a win over Washington, marking his 222nd career double-double — the franchise record.
Play-in heroics vs Hawks — clinched playoff berth (first 10th seed)
Posted 17 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals and five blocks in a 123–114 OT play-in win that made Miami the first tenth-seed team to clinch a playoff appearance.
Key Achievement Ages
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