Miami Heat: Why the Tokyo Olympics will benefit Miami the most
By Noah Decker
Bam Adebayo – the rising star of the Miami Heat
Now, let’s look at Bam Adebayo’s journey and how it can greatly benefit the Miami Heat and their future. First, the opportunity to play professional five-on-five during the offseason is significant enough itself.
Not every player in the NBA is getting the opportunity to practice their skills in a real game environment, where it is likely their skills would improve the most.
In 2014, the USA FIBA World Cup roster featured players such as Anthony Davis and the Warriors backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. All three players took a huge leap in their skillset in the subsequent NBA season.
Who knows, maybe Bam Adebayo will be the next player to see a huge increase in his skill level. The opportunity to compete at an international level gives Adebayo a huge advantage over his competition, especially when it comes to being an NBA center.
Secondly, Bam Adebayo was in the position to learn from some other NBA greats. He was playing alongside the likes of Kevin Durant and Draymond Green.
Both are great players that can teach Adebayo a number of lessons. They are also NBA champions. Some of their leadership and mentorship might rub off on Adebayo and help him take his game to the next level.
In addition to learning from players, Adebayo is also learning about players. NBA Hall-of-Famer Michael Jordan, who is widely considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time, famously revealed that he participated in the Olympics so that he would learn the weaknesses of his opponents. Could Adebayo take on this mentality as well?