After winning with Team USA four years ago, Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo is going for his second Gold medal at the Paris Games this summer.
Over his seven-year career, Adebayo has emerged as a constant on Team USA’s roster because of his team-first attitude and ability to anchor an Olympic defense and set up his star teammates. But even this group is more star-studded than 2020’s Gold-winning outfit.
The stars have come together to avenge last summer’s fourth-place finish in the FIBA World Cup.
Adebayo will compete alongside all-timers like LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. He’ll likely come off the bench behind Joel Embiid but, if Team USA’s exhibition schedule was any indication, he’ll still factor into the every-game rotation.
Here, we’ll track Adebayo’s performance in each of Team USA’s games, from the start of the Paris Games to when, hopefully, he’ll receive his second Gold medal.
Bam Adebayo’s game-by-game performance
Game 1: vs Serbia
- July 28, 11:15 am ET; Lille, France
- Team USA got production across its lineup in its Olympic-opening 110-84 win over Serbia.
- Kevin Durant, in his first game for Team USA after recovering from a calf sprain, led the star-studded group with 23 points in 17 minutes off the bench. LeBron James tallied 21 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Devin Booker (12), Jrue Holiday (15), Stephen Curry (11) and Anthony Edwards (11) scored in double digits.
- Bam Adebayo finished with four points, two rebounds and two assists in his 20 minutes, and helped anchor a defense that held Nikola Jokic and his Serbia teammates to 41.9% shooting overall (and 24.3% from beyond the arc).
Game 2: vs South Sudan
- July 31, 3 pm ET; Lille, France
- Team USA continued its dominant Olympic run with a 103-86 blowout win over South Sudan, a team that gave them some trouble in their exhibition tuneup but was no match in Paris.
- With Joel Embiid given the day off, Team USA coach Steve Kerr used a starting lineup of Steph Curry, Devin Booker, LeBron James, Jayson Tatum and Anthony Davis. James finished with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists while Kevin Durant added 14 points off the bench.
- But it was Bam Adebayo who led Team USA with 18 points on 8 for 10 shooting, including a perfect shooting first half that included two corner 3-pointers. He also had seven rebounds, an assist, a steal and two blocks while providing elite defense on ball-handlers and at the rim. He was Team USA's best two-way player.
Game 3 vs Puerto Rico
- Aug. 3, 11:15 am ET; Lille, France
- Bam Adebayo took a backseat as Team USA rolled over Puerto Rico, 104-83, to finish group play with an undefeated record.
- Anthony Edwards had a game-high 26 points off the bench while Joel Embiid led the Team USA starters with 15 points. LeBron James finished with 10 points, eight assists and six rebounds and he held steady control of the game.
- It was a quiet offensive game -- but an impactful one -- for Bam Adebayo, who tallied three points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals. He did not attempt a 3-pointer in his 18 minutes.
Game 4 vs Brazil (Knockout)
- Aug. 6, 3:30 pm ET; Paris, France
- Team USA continued its dominance as the knockout stage began in Paris, blowing out Brazil, 122-87.
- Devin Booker led Team USA with 18 points on 6 of 9 shooting while LeBron James paced the Americans with 12 points, nine assists, three rebounds and three steals. Anthony Edwards added 17 points off the bench. Team USA out-shot Brazil 57.7% to 41.6% from the field.
- Bam Adebayo had nine points and seven rebounds, and started the second half in place of Joel Embiid. Embiid did not play in the second half after posting 14 points in the first half. Adebayo went 1 for 3 from 3-point range.
Game 5 vs Serbia
Gold Medal Game
- Team USA defeated France in a hard-fought final, 98-87, to take the Gold medal.
- Stephen Curry led Team USA with 24 points, including four made 3-pointers in a magical two-minute stretch to put the game away.
- LeBron James finished with 14 points, 10 assists and six rebounds while Kevin Durant and Devin Booker added 15 points each.
- Bam Adebayo finished two points and a rebound in his nine minutes off the bench and provided tough defense and screening in the pivotal fourth quarter.
- With the win, Adebayo earns the second Gold medal of his career.