As the 2020 Tokyo Olympics come to a conclusion, with Team USA winning the gold medal in men’s basketball, we shift back to NBA basketball. The Miami Heat had three players on their roster who were participating in the Olympics this year.
Bam Adebayo played for Team USA, while Gabe Vincent was joined by KZ Okpala to represent the Nigeria team.
This was a great experience for all three of these players to have. Throughout their Olympic journey, they learned from a different perspective and made connections that give them an advantage over other players in the NBA.
Nigeria Basketball
Let’s start with the players from Nigeria. Even though Nigeria did not win any medals in men’s basketball this year, the biggest takeaway their Miami players should have comes from their pre-Olympic exhibition game in which they defeated Team USA.
In a shocking victory, Nigeria defeated the United States with a final score of 90-87. The United States team had little time to practice playing with each other before the game. As a result, they had some problems executing their game plan at times, and they struggled to shoot the ball well.
On the other hand, Nigeria shot the ball very well. As a team, they shot 47.6% from three on 42 shots. Gabe Vincent of the Miami Heat led the way for their team, scoring 21 points and sinking six of his eight three-pointers.
In addition to shooting the ball with accuracy, Nigeria also played tenacious defense. There were several possessions in which it appeared that Nigeria “wanted it more” than the USA team.
Even though it was just an exhibition game, this should give the Nigerian players a lot of confidence. They were able to take down the best players in the world. Gabe Vincent, in particular, should feel very confident with the way he played.
Confidence is arguably the best thing for a shooter to have. Hopefully, Gabe Vincent takes this victory over the United States and translates it into the NBA season for the Miami Heat.
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?
Other reasons why Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo benefited from the Olympics
NBA players weren’t the only NBA greats Adebayo is interacting with during the Olympic Games. Team USA is coached by the legendary Gregg Popovich.
He coached the San Antonio Spurs to five NBA championships in 25 years as their coach. Adebayo can certainly learn something from Coach Pop, especially considering he coached one of the NBA’s greatest bigs in Tim Duncan.
Being coached by Gregg Popovich and the rest of the USA coaching staff will give Bam some different perspectives he has not experienced before. Adebayo seems to have impressed Popovich because he had this to say about the Miami Heat center:
"“He’s active, he’s a rebounder, he runs. He knows how to play with teammates. … He’s going to be very valuable to us and obviously our best rebounder.”"
Coach Pop was certainly correct about the value Adebayo would bring to the team. Adebayo was a defensive anchor for the United States, providing critical blocks and rebounding throughout the tournament.
In the gold medal game, he was challenged with guarding France’s Rudy Gobert. Team USA’s defense looked tremendously better when Adebayo was on the floor.
Lastly, Bam Adebayo’s interaction with other NBA players could help with recruitment. Portland Trailblazers superstar Damian Lillard recently revealed that he would be very excited about playing with a big man like Bam Adebayo.
Dame’s name has been linked to trade rumors lately. If he requests a trade, Miami’s front office will be on the phone immediately to try to work out a deal for him.
Adding Damian Lillard to the Miami Heat would give them a true superstar and form one of the most unstoppable teams in the league.
Playing in the Olympic Games was an incredible experience for Bam Adebayo and his teammates to have. Now, it is time to take the lessons they learned in Tokyo and work towards their goal in the NBA, which is to win a championship as a part of the Miami Heat.