Former Kentucky player Bam Adebayo saw his parents’ relationship fall apart as a child. The NBA star was born in New Jersey but grew up in North Carolina with his mom, Marilyn Blount.
Adebayo, 27, began his basketball journey with Northside High School in Pinetown, North Carolina.
In his one season at Northside, Adebayo averaged 17.8 points, 19.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, and later moved to High Point Christian Academy.
Adebayo averaged 18.9 points and 13 rebounds at High Point in his senior season and was named McDonald’s All-American. During his senior season, Adebayo led the side to a state title game.
Bam joined the University of Kentucky in 2016 and was the only Wildcat to start all 38 games. Adebayo averaged 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in his one season with Kentucky.
The Miami Heat selected Bam as the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Despite having a slow rookie season, Bam started showing what he was capable of in his sophomore year.
By the time the third year rolled around, Adebayo had established himself as a key player alongside franchise star Jimmy Butler while earning his first NBA All-Star nod.
Last season, Adebayo finished third in the Defensive Player of the Year ranking behind Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembenyama.
Many believed he could win the DPOY title in the 2024 season, giving Wembanayama a serious challenge, but this season has so far been miserable for the Heat and Adebayo.
Once the ongoing Jimmy Butler saga dies down, we might see Adebayo pick up form as he and Tyler Herro try to become the new faces of the Heat culture.
Bam Adebayo Remained Distant From His Father Till His Demise in 2020!
The NBA center Bam Adebayo’s father, John Adebayo, passed away in 2020 in Nigeria.
Speaking to The Undefeated, Bam Adebayo said,
My father passed away, but I never really talked to him. He was around when I was younger, and then my mom moved to North Carolina. So, he kind of became distant. I can’t really credit him for a lot of stuff.
via: &andscape
The last time Adebayo saw his dad, he was only 13. His AAU coach and mentor, Kevin Graves, had invited him to watch Bam play in a tournament in New Jersey.
After a brief interaction with the son whom he abandoned, John disappeared for seven years.
John tried reaching out to Bam after he became a top high school recruit, a standout at Kentucky, and the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Bam received a text message from his dad a few minutes before the Heat introduced him to the local media.
Adebayo ignored it and moved ahead in his career. In his interview with Andscape, Bam recalls hating his last name, “Adebayo,” because it came from a man who never cared to be there for him or his mom.
As a kid, he would get teased for his last name not being something simple like Williams or Bennett. They would tease him for having an African name.
However, as the NBA star grew older, he wanted to learn more about his Nigerian roots.
He learned that the last name he grew up hating actually meant “Born in joyful time.”
Despite showing interest in visiting Nigeria in 2020, Bam hasn’t made plans to visit the African nation.
Bam Adebayo Says His Mom, Marliyn Blount, Is His Biggest Inspiration!
In 2020, Bam bought his mom, Marilyn Blount, a new home on her 56th birthday.
He shared several photos of his mom entering her new house on his Instagram handle.
In the first slide, a picture of their old home can be seen hanging on the wall. That old home was a trailer in Pinetown, North Carolina.
Whether it was scorching sun or freezing snow, Marilyn Blount would walk a mile to her job at a meat packing company where she worked as a cashier.
She only made $230 a week, which wasn’t enough to buy a car and pay the bills. Adebayo didn’t like seeing his mom struggle and promised one day, he would erase it all.
With his first NBA paycheck, Bam bought his mom an iPhone, and before his first season, the mother-son duo visited Disney World.
After Bam became an NBA player, Marilyn moved with his son to Miami, where they lived in the same condo building but on different floors.
On his Instagram, Bam loves sharing appreciation posts for his mom. The Heat star shared a gallery of images from his mother’s 60th birthday celebration on December 10, 2024.
Three days before that post, he had shared another collage of photos of him and his mom visiting various places.
Alas, Bam Adebayo has made not only his dream come true but also of his mom.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- In November 2024, Bam Adebayo and his mom, Marilyn Blount, partnered with Maker’s Mark, the iconic Kentucky bourbon whisky makers, for their custom blend, Bam & Marilyn’s 1 of 1.
- The NBA star’s non-profit, Bam, Books & Brotherhood, helps single mothers pursue further education. The non-profit also has plans to host food banks in various communities and book clubs for students.
