A recent report indicates that Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo is considered a “strong candidate” for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics.
Adebayo, 26, was selected 14th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft after a successful season playing college basketball at the University of Kentucky.
He averaged 13.
0 points, 8.
0 rebounds and 1.
5 blocks per game in 38 games played with the Wildcats during the 2016–17 season (all starts).
Those numbers were good enough for Adebayo to earn All-SEC honors.
Adebayo’s contributions have resulted in many wins for the Wildcats.
They finished the season with a great record of 32-6 and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament, where they lost to the University of North Carolina by a final score of 75-73.
Adebayo finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds in the loss.
The 6-foot-9 big man played six seasons in the NBA, all as a member of the Heat.
He averaged 20.
4 points, 9.
2 rebounds, 3.
2 assists and 1.
2 steals per game in 75 games played with Miami in the 2022-23 season (all starts head).
Adebayo has managed to carry his stellar play from the 2022-23 season through the 2023 playoffs.
He was the Heat’s No.
2 pick in their NBA Finals run, behind only star wing Jimmy Butler, averaging 17.
9 points, 9.
9 rebounds and 3.
7 assists per game.
games in 23 playoff games with the Heat.
Adebayo’s best performance in the 2023 playoffs was arguably in the NBA Finals against Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets.
He averaged 21.
8 points, 12.
4 rebounds and 3.
2 assists per game in the series while shooting 45.
5% from the field.
However, Adebayo’s performance was not enough for the Heat to defeat the Nuggets, who lost the Championship Series in five games.
Hopefully Adebayo will play for Team USA in the 2024 Olympics.
Team USA would probably be wise to draft Adebayo, as he is one of the best two-way big men in the NBA.