Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo had an impactful showing for Team USA in its Saturday matchup against Puerto Rico thanks in large part to his defense, but it didn’t necessarily show up in the box score.
Adebayo finished with a humble stat line of three points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
When the Heat shared a post to X with a summary of Adebayo’s stats from the game, the big man responded in hilarious fashion.
Adebayo got roughly 18 minutes of playing time in the matchup, which Team USA won to finish 3-0 in the group stage of the 2024 Olympics.
The 27-year-old’s best offensive game of the group stage came against South Sudan on July 31, when he dropped 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the field and 2-for-3 shooting from beyond the arc.
Team USA has clinched a spot in the Olympic quarterfinals, putting the squad three wins away from gold. Adebayo won a gold medal earlier in his career with Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics, and he’s looking to add to his collection this summer.
Afterward, he’ll be able to shift his focus back to the NBA, where the Heat are looking to re-establish themselves as championship contenders after losing in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Adebayo is coming off an NBA season in which he averaged 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 52.1 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from deep. He earned the third All-Star selection of his NBA career, was named to the All-Defensive First Team and also received consideration for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
His 3-point shooting last season was a bright spot for the Heat, even if the sample size was small. In the Olympics this summer, he has continued to display an ability to hit 3-pointers, something Miami has to be excited about.
If the former first-round pick can develop into a legitimate stretch big, there’s no telling how high his ceiling could get, especially considering the versatility he already brings on the defensive end of the floor.