Bam Adebayo explains the 2 reasons why he wears jersey no.13 for Team USA
This summer, Bam Adebayo is one of the many NBA All-Stars suiting up for Team USA in the 2024 Olympics. As he prepares to possibly add a second gold medal to his collection, the versatile big man went into detail about his jersey number.
In most cases, players have to wear a different number for international play compared to what they wear in the NBA. However, that isn't the case for Adebayo. He is wearing the number 13, just like he does with the Miami Heat.
Earlier this week, Team USA was given badges with a list of former players who have worn their number. It was there that Bam Adebayo revealed why he wears 13. Along with it looking like the letter B, it's the number his mom wore when she played in high school.
The 2024 Olympics will be the second time Adebayo will suit up for Team USA on this grand a stage. Back in 2021, he was part of the team that won a gold medal in Tokyo.
Adebayo is part of the trio of elite big men Team USA has chosen to play in these Olympics. The Heat center will be splitting frontcourt duties with a pair of stars in Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis.
Bam Adebayo reacts to Team USA's birthday surprise for him
At the moment, Bam Adebayo and Team USA are partaking in a series of showcase games leading up to the Olympics. They started out in Las Vegas before traveling to Abu Dhabi. Now, they'll play their remaining games in the United Kingdom.
Amid all this pre-Olympics ramp-up, Adebayo celebrated his 27th birthday. Even though it fell on their travel day, Team USA still made sure to do something special for the Miami Heat star.
When they arrived at where they will be staying in London, there was a big cake waiting for Bam Adebayo. On top of this, Team USA sang happy birthday to him.
Following this kind gesture, Adebayo took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his thoughts. He shouted out LeBron James and Steph Curry for being in the front row singing to him.
At the age of 27, Adebayo has already racked up an impressive basketball resumé. He is a three-time All-Star, been named to five All-Defense teams, and has a gold medal. While the Heat weren't able to come out on top either time, Adebayo has also played in the finals twice.
Moments like this are a testament to the camaraderie Team USA is building heading into the Olympics. Looking at the field of competition, they'll need to be a tight-knit group if they want to walk out of Paris with a gold medal.