Heat’s Bam Adebayo is 100% real about motivation for the 2024-25 season

There is no doubt that it has been a busy off-season for Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo as he won a gold medal with Team USA, his second gold medal. Moreover, the Heat star also signed a major contract extension, exemplifying that Adebayo will be the centerpiece of the team for many years to come.

Adebayo now enters the upcoming season where he looks to be at the best of his career, to say the least, after a historic offseason. According to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, he would say “exciting” in one word to describe his summer. Looking back to Paris, Adebayo became the first player in franchise history to win multiple gold medals.

Bam Adebayo from Heat competes with Team USA at the historic Olympics

Even considering how big the U.S. team was outside of Adebayo this year, which featured players like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and other stars, he still stood out from the rest by offering elite defense and offense when needed . Speaking about his eventful off-season, he called his performance at the Olympics “historic.”

“Obviously the contract extension, being able to extend the contract is a great feeling,” Adebayo said. “As far as the Olympics go, it’s one of the most historic things I’ve done — being part of a team that’s been compared to the ‘Dream Team.’ “To be part of a team where three first-ballot Hall of Famers (Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James) definitely come together to make one last achievement, to be a part of that…you can” really can’t be described in words.

Adebayo wasn’t the only Heat representative at the Olympics, as head coach Erik Spoelstra was an assistant coach for Team USA, where the two shared a hug at the end of the tournament in which the USA defeated France in the gold medal game. Heat teammate Nikola Jovic also took part in the event, being a member of the Serbia team that won the bronze medal.

With a contract extension and the Olympics in the rearview mirror, he now turns his attention to the upcoming season and aims to improve after averaging 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game on 52.1% shooting from games. One aspect of his game that became an important storyline for fans and Adebayo was his improved three-point shooting.

Bam Adebayo talks about the Heat’s improved three-point shooting

It was obvious he was working on this last season when he had a small streak of games late in the season where he took at least one deep shot. It was even present at the Olympics, where LeBron James joked that he and Adebayo were the new “Splash Brothers.”

Over the final 17 games of the regular season, Adebayo completed 14 of 28 attempts from beyond the arc, which is 50 percent, significantly higher than the 7.1 percent he had in his first 54 2023 appearances. While there’s no doubt he’s kept up with working on it this offseason, Adebayo told The Miami Herald it’s not the only area he wants to improve.

“I’m always trying to make things better – it’s not just about one specific thing,” Adebayo said. “Obviously, everyone will be paying attention to three-point shots. But for me it’s like making decisions when you have to be able to play, read the game and be able to be the second coach on the court, next to the head coach. The ability to be yourself when we can’t hear (coach Erik Spoelstra) because he’s on the other end of the court, the ability to communicate and understand the goal throughout the game.

“Like I said, everyone will look at my three-point shots and think, ‘Oh, that’s what he was working on.’ Of course it is,” Adebayo continued. “This is due to development. Every great player wants to develop to become a three-level scorer, and that’s what I’m striving for. But for me, it’s not just one specific thing when it comes to development.

The Heat’s Bam Adebayo wants to continue to dominate on defense

The offensive side of the ball has always been a fascinating topic for Adebayo, as in addition to his work in the post, fans got to see him work on his mid-range game. If there’s one part of his arsenal that people aren’t worried about, it’s his defense, as some even say he’s the best in the NBA in that regard.

Adebayo was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year along with San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, who ultimately went to Minnesota Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert, sparking debate even beyond Heat fans. While the 27-year-old center lacked eye-catching block stats of 0.9 per game compared to Gobert’s 2.1, Adebayo has impressed with advanced defensive metrics that set him apart from the rest.

Bam Adebayo is entering his second season as Heat captain

It’s conceivable that Adebayo will continue to get credit for his defense, as he’s been named to the NBA All-Defensive team five times, but whether that results in Defensive Player of the Year honors is another story. However, Adebayo seems like a player who would rather win an NBA championship any day than an individual award.

Winning is the main goal for Adebayo, who has enjoyed success over the past five seasons, reaching three Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals with Miami. It didn’t end with a final championship, and alongside Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier and more, Adebayo is looking to captain his team to a title again.

“For me, being the leading man – to put it simply – means winning,” Adebayo said. “It doesn’t matter what it looks like. But being a leader and winning takes care of all the other things that people want to tell a narrative behind or twist words around. For me, being a leader means winning.”

In any case, it looks like the Heat will bounce back after finishing eighth in the season for the second straight season with a 46-36 record after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.