LeBron James dubs Bam Adebayo a 'splash brother' after Team USA win over Serbia in final game at Abu Dhabi
After Team USA's win over Serbia on Wednesday, LeBron James dubbed Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo as the new Splash Brother. During the game, Adebayo knocked down three shots from beyond the arc, going 3-5 from downtown as Team USA picked up a big 105-79 win in their third international friendly leading up to the Olympics.
Adebayo finished the game with 17 points, eight rebounds, and three assists while playing some lockdown defense alongside Anthony Davis. While he didn't start in the game, with Joel Embiid continuing to struggle, many fans have called for Adebayo to start in his place.
His performance comes on the heels of another dominant display against Australia earlier in the week, where he played a key role in helping stave off a late-game comeback by Australia.
In a video shared by the NBA's account on X, formerly known as Twitter, LeBron James and Bam Adebayo can be seen walking down the tunnel together, with James giving the Miami Heat big-man his props.
"Splash brother. The new Splash Brother. Bam Bam splash right there! Yeah Bam!"
As many were quick to joke after two stellar back-to-back games for Adebayo, LeBron James may wish that the Heat center was a member of the LA Lakers given how dominant he has looked alongside Anthony Davis thus far for Team USA.
Looking at Bam Adebayo's recent games for Team USA ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics
So far, Team USA has played three warmup games in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Their first game took place last week against Team Canada, who finished third in the FIBA World Cup last summer. In that game, Bam Adebayo logged 21 minutes, the most of any player to come off the bench. While he scored just six points on 2-6 from the floor, he notably added seven rebounds to the team's total.
Then, on Monday, Adebayo finished with 10 points, two rebounds, an assist, and a steal on 80% from the field in Team USA's win over Australia. While his numbers didn't jump off the page, his defense was an X-Factor for Team USA as they staved off a late-game comeback attempt from Australia.
Following he and Team USA's win over Serbia on Wednesday, the team will take the floor for two more games before the start of the Paris Olympics. On Jul. 20, the team will face off against South Sudan, who will be in their group for the Group Phase of Olympic play.
That game will take place at the O2 Arena in London, with Bam Adebayo and Team USA then competing against Germany on July 22 in their final international friendly leading up to the Olympics.
Once Olympic action tips-off, Team USA will play a series of round robin games against the three other teams in their group (Serbia, South Sudan, Puerto Rico) leading up to the knockout round, where the US is the heavy favorite to win it all.