Bam Adebayo has really emerged as one of the Miami Heat’s leaders. After fellow star player Jimmy Butler departed the team, he has stepped into this expanded role. The club’s first homegrown signing, the skilled centerback has been a cornerstone of the team since his arrival in 2017. As they prepare for another NBA season, he thinks that he’s somehow now “in the driver’s seat.”
Adebayo’s leadership journey took a significant turn last season when he faced notable challenges, including trying to find his rhythm amidst the team’s struggles. With the watchful eye of Head Coach Erik Spoelstra, Adebayo is embracing this new leadership and mentorship role. He’s taking cues from the leadership of former Heat legends such as Butler, Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem.
Over the course of his young career, Adebayo has proven to be malleable and responsive. He’s been to the playoffs in every season but his rookie year in 2018-19. His contributions have made him the franchise leader in double-doubles and rank him among the top players in various categories: second in rebounds, seventh in assists, fifth in blocks, and fourth in points and games played.
As Adebayo looks back on where he finds himself today, he knows that chemistry and having fun are vital ingredients to building a winning team. He argues the importance of keeping love for the game at the forefront of what you do.
“You’ve got to come with the passion every single day. We’re in here to work, do our job and then we leave and go home. We don’t work a 9 to 5 [job],” – Bam Adebayo
His impact statistically has been impressive – to say the least. As it stands, he’s leading his team with an average of 19.5 points, and 8.8 rebounds, with 2.5 assists per game. With this kind of productivity on the court, it’s easy to see why he’s such a critical component to the team’s success.
While the Heat’s roster should be much healthier this season, Adebayo is high on the competitive spirit written into his team’s DNA. He feels that provided the team is at full health, they are capable of making some serious noise within the league.
“We’re going to be called delusional. But how I look at delusion [is] if you ask how many people could be NBA players, what is the percentage of that? So, you’ve got to have a little bit of delusion when it comes to speaking stuff into existence,” – Bam Adebayo
Adebayo’s approach to leadership is personal and heartfelt. More than just the daily grind of practice times, he’s on a mission to build community and chemistry among teammates. His intention, as Evan and I understand it, is to develop an environment that breeds healthy competition and collaboration.
“I feel like a lot of people lose that because throughout a long season it starts to become clockwork. Practice. Game. Off. Game. Practice,” – Bam Adebayo
The laser tag was his idea, and he’s constantly looking for new ways to bond with his future teammates outside of basketball. Adebayo’s commitment to manifesting the best possible outcome, grounded in shared purpose and political will, are powerful.
“Like I always say, ‘Speak stuff into existence that matters.’ Manifest things that matter,” – Bam Adebayo
For Adebayo, this weight of leadership both serves as motivator and reminder. He is, though, thankful for the faith that the organization has shown in him. He sees this potentate’s responsibility as a chance to lead his mates especially during bad stretches.
“That’s a big responsibility. It’s a big ask. But if they didn’t believe in me, they wouldn’t put me in the seat,” – Bam Adebayo
Despite the fact that he’s clearly the best player, Adebayo has become his team’s emotional anchor. He knows the value of releasing a unified front when times are tough.
“They need that voice, that one voice where when we get in the trenches and it gets dark, people lose direction,” – Bam Adebayo
Adebayo seems to be heading into the new season highly motivated. He is deeply dedicated to developing himself as a player and a leader. His capacity to find joy in retrospective adversity puts him in a good place to head into this season fueled by a new spirit and intention.
“By the grace of God, that’s how I got through it. But I’ll say sometimes when you have seasons like that, you’ve got to look at the positives,” – Bam Adebayo
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