For new players of the Miami Heat, it has been somewhat of a tradition for them to join Udonis Haslem's yearly summer workouts. It gives them the opportunity to learn from the team captain himself, as well as to start immersing themselves within the team's culture.
This summer was not different as the 37-year-old Florida product once again asked his new teammate in rookie Bam Adebayo to join him along with Hassan Whiteside. He then described the experience, via Anthony Chiang of the Palm Beach Post, as welcoming, before adding that he looks up to both big men for helping him in his transition to the NBA.
“Welcoming,” Adebayo said Monday morning at a “Back to School” event at Jesse J. McCrary, Jr. Elementary when asked what his Heat initiation has been like. “Just walking in, they took me in like I was one of their brothers for a long time. It’s easy going. … I look up to UD, Hassan and them. They’re leading me in the right path.”
“It’s not surprising because I watched the Miami Heat all the time when they won both championships with LeBron [James] and even the one that they won with D-Wade by himself. UD was on all of them. You just see all his hard work, diving on the floor, making the hard plays. It shows his passion for the game.”
“I always stay ready. I always prepare myself. I’m just taking it bit by bit and just soaking all the information. … [The Heat] are letting me play free. They’re just like, ‘Go do you and have fun and share with your teammates.'”
Adebayo is a natural at the power forward position, but at 6-foot-10 and 245 lbs., he is versatile enough to even play the center spot, giving Heat coach Erik Spoelstra more versatility with his current lineup. However, it's his defense and shotblocking ability that has shone throughout the Summer League, which makes his addition to the Heat even more intriguing.
Only 20 years old and fresh out of his successful stint at Kentucky, Adebayo is expected to receive a decent amount of minutes this coming season to prove his worth. It may seem like a daunting task, especially at a young age, and with the pressure to perform well under the watchful eyes of the South Beach faithful. But with Haslem guiding him, it will definitely lessen the pressure on Bam Adebayo's broad shoulders.
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