"His mama calls him Bam, so I'm gonna call him Bam!" - Dwyane Wade shares wholesome moment with Heat star after South Sudan matchup
Miami Heat star center Bam Adebayo showed out for Team USA during Wednesday's 103-86 2024 Paris Olympic group-phase victory over South Sudan. Afterward, he shared a wholesome postgame moment with Heat legend Dwyane Wade.
Entering Wednesday's Group C showdown, rumors circulated that Adebayo could be benched to help Team USA match up with South Sudan's speed and athleticism. However, Adebayo not only retained his rotation spot, but he finished with a team-high 18 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two 3-pointers, shooting 80.0%.
The three-time NBA All-Star spearheaded a lethal American bench unit, which outscored South Sudan's bench 66-14 en route to locking up a quarterfinal berth. He was one of four reserves who scored in double figures, alongside Kevin Durant (14 points), Anthony Edwards (13 points) and Derrick White (10 points).
Wade, one of NBC's Olympic men's basketball broadcasters, witnessed Adebayo's performance firsthand, consistently raving about his former Heat teammate. Following the Americans' decisive victory, he and Adebayo shared a wholesome embrace, with the three-time NBA champion later shouting out Adebayo on an Instagram story.
"His mama calls him Bam, so I'm gonna call him Bam! Way to hoop, my guy," Wade captioned a photo of him and Adebayo hugging.
Wade also lauded Adebayo's standout performance on X/Twitter, reacting to a graphic featuring Team USA's top bench performers referencing Adebayo as "Bamonte."
"My brother deserved it today, he was HOOPIN!" Wade said.
With Wednesday's victory, Adebayo and Co. are 2-0 in their group-phase schedule after finishing 5-0 in exhibition play. They conclude group play against Puerto Rico on Saturday, which has already been eliminated from quarterfinal contention.
Also Read: Steve Kerr explains tactical reason behind dropping Joel Embiid on the bench vs. South Sudan
Bam Adebayo on embracing Team USA bench role
After making his two-way presence felt against South Sudan, Bam Adebayo spoke about embracing being a versatile, energizing role player on Team USA's star-heavy roster.
"Crashing the glass hard, getting open shots, my teammates just making it easy for me," Adebayo said. "Just being able to make shots for them. Like I said, I’m not here to get 20 shots up. But when I’m open, shoot it."
Through two group-phase contests, Adebayo has a plus-minus of +31 as he continues to cement his place in coach Steve Kerr's ever-changing rotation.
The Heat star is looking to win his second Olympic gold medal after playing a crucial role on the Americans' 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medal-winning squad. Meanwhile, Team USA is pursuing its fifth straight gold medal.
Also Read: Bam Adebayo reacts to report of him possibly being benched vs South Sudan with hilarious 50 Cent GIF