Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo says that being doubted and bombarded with racist remarks during team USA's Olympics stint helped the team push to greater heights.
Initially, it was unclear if Adebayo was set on playing for Team USA after getting swept by the Milwaukee Bucks in the playoffs. However, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra told Bam that playing in the Olympics can be extremely beneficial for his career going forward—not only as a player but as a person as well. Spoelstra notes that the Olympic journey is filled with numerous high-stakes situations and games that will test one's ability to go through intense amounts of adversity.
With that said, Adebayo describes to The Athletic a controversial video of a reporter blasting Team USA players—calling them a collection of whiny overpaid social justice warriors who are against the country for kneeling in protest to police brutality during the US national anthem. The Heat star was quick to express his thoughts after describing the video—saying that the haters just gave the team even more motivation to succeed.
Via The Athletic:
“In certain instances, when you hear certain reporters speak and you hear stuff they say, it’s personal because it sounds like you don’t care about us personally, because we are Black,” Adebayo said after he pressed stop.
“You just want us to win, but the fact that we’re not winning and we’re Black causes a bigger issue. It was just crazy how so many people have the arrogance to say whatever they want, however they feel, and you’re not doing anything for your country — you’re not fighting. When we won, it meant more to us, for the doubters.”
After a successful Olympics stint, Adebayo returned to the Miami Heat a changed man after managing adversity, training with exceptional talent, and experiencing multiple must-win games at the Olympics.
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