Miami Heat rising star Bam Adebayo didn’t make the Team USA FIBA World Cup roster this past summer, and it may have been a good thing.

Adebayo says losing out on a roster spot to Brook Lopez and Miles Plumlee left a bigger chip on his shoulder:

“It put a bigger chip on my shoulder than I already had,” Adebayo told Michael Lee of The Athletic. “I felt I deserved to be on that team. I’ve been checking the calendar and spotting dates and trying to take this league by storm.”

Adebayo is the second-youngest player in Heat franchise history to be named Player of the Week after Dwyane Wade. Bam averaged 20.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.7 assists as the Heat went 2-1 during the week Bam won the award.

The Heat are one of the best teams in the NBA and they have two All-Stars leading the punch. Jimmy Butler and Adebayo are two tough, fierce competitors who make playing the Heat very, very difficult.

Adebayo, who figures to be a multi-time All-Star, is averaging 16.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists on the season while shooting 56.5 percent from the field and 69.1 percent from the free-throw line. The Heat are 41-23 on the season. They are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

After missing the playoffs last season, the Heat are well on their way to making it this season. They will ultimately go as far as Butler and Adebayo can take them.

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