Bam’s early life in this Trailer gave Bam Adebayo a massive edge and helped make him into the superstar he is today.
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00:00 Growing up, Bam caught a single wide trailer at 76 Church Lane Home in a small rural North Carolina town.
00:05 This was not the type of home you'd be able to get directions to from your GPS app.
00:09 This trailer on the hillside would only be found by word of mouth.
00:12 But Bam and his mom made do with what they had.
00:15 Bam's mother worked tirelessly to get by, and as a cashier at the Acre Station Meat Farm.
00:19 Making minimum wage, Marilyn Blount took home about $240 weekly.
00:24 On top of raising Bam and putting in long hours to keep the lights on, she ensured their home was as clean as a whistle every time Bam came home from practice.
00:32 Adresa DeBayo became known as Bam like the character from The Flintstones at just one years old after he flipped a table.
00:38 Fortunately for Bam, he found a way out of poverty at a young age.
00:42 Bam started playing basketball in his neighborhood on a portable hoop.
00:45 The 13-year-old had no idea what he was doing and handled the ball like he had two left hands and couldn't catch passes.
00:50 But he was 6'6" at 13 and had enough bounce to get his head at the rim.
00:54 That was enough to get him picked first every time for the neighborhood runs.
00:57 It didn't take him long to join organized basketball after discovering his love for the game.
01:02 His superior athleticism took him far.
01:04 But developing his guard-like skill set would take him places he couldn't imagine.
01:08 The first stop was Kentucky.
01:09 Bam was posterizing top prospects as an 8th grader and averaging 30 points per game in his junior year of high school as he emerged as one of the top players in the country.
01:17 With all that success early on, Bam stayed humble and hungry.
01:21 He wasn't the type of kid to get a big head and forget where he came from.
01:24 Bam was going to take care of his mother one day.
01:26 That was a promise he made to himself, never forgetting his roots.
01:30 His AAU coach helped ensure Bam will always remember where he came from.
01:34 Before Bam went off to play basketball for John Calipari at Kentucky, his AAU coach Kevin Graves gifted him a large picture of 76 Church Lane, the trailer where Bam was raised.
01:44 The frame was engraved with 15 words that Bam would never forget and carry throughout his entire basketball journey.
01:49 Never forget where you came from and never lose sight of where you are going.
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01:58 Bam has come a long way from when his neighborhood friends would have to beg him to join pick-up games.
02:03 The day one scouting report would have missed Coach Calipari's desk, but after cultivating his game from 13 to 18, Bam averaged 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game, shooting 60%.
02:15 Those stats could have been padded much more if he wasn't on a star-studded squad led by De'Aaron Fox.
02:20 Bam was impressive enough at Kentucky to get drafted to the NBA, but not enough to be a lottery pick.
02:25 The Miami Heat heard from John Calipari that Bam was without a doubt the most competitive man on his Kentucky team.
02:31 This was music to Pat Riley and Coach Spoh's ears, a perfect fit for the Miami Heat culture they built.
02:36 But they needed to test Bam and see the dog in him.
02:39 This pre-draft training session Bam earned with the Heat was one of, if not the most important day of his life.
02:44 Calipari bragged about Bam's guard feet, so Coach Spoh needed to see if Bam was worth the hype.
02:49 During 3-on-3 drills, Spoh told Bam not to switch on any screens.
02:53 He wanted to see how Bam would adapt to scrambling and defensive rotations, how fast he'd be.
02:58 Spoh remembers Bam saying that that drill was BS, muttering "I'm not afraid of that dude. Why are you trying to protect him?"
03:04 Bam was used to locking down small quick guards like De'Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Isaiah Briscoe, and even Dennett Smith Jr. dating back to his AAU days.
03:12 Spoh smirked and gave in to Bam's wishes, feeding him the small guards.
03:16 From that moment on during the session, Bam didn't let the guards score on him once.
03:21 For 20 minutes, Bam locked the guard up, screaming in the gym about everyone that doubted him.
03:26 All the teams that have overlooked him, Bam was out for blood.
03:29 Coach Spoh was in love in the Heat drafted him 15th overall in 2017.
03:33 While Bam made it to the NBA, finally earning the money to take care of his mother and get her out of that trailer once and for all
03:39 and into a luxurious apartment in South Beach, Bam had yet to face his biggest test.
03:43 Bam's career would soon flash before his eyes and he would need to jump into a fire to save himself.
03:48 Sounds counterintuitive, but for Bam, being in high pressure situations, having it all on the line, that's where Bam thrives.
03:55 Remembering where he came from, the days when his mother couldn't keep her eyes open by the time Bam came home from practice
04:01 after working all day just to barely be able to pay the bills to live in a trailer.
04:05 Hardly having enough money to leave him a meal when he came home.
04:08 These memories were engraved in Bam's mind.
04:10 If you like what you're watching, hit that like button so I know to keep the stories coming.
04:14 Therefore, nothing would stand in Bam's way between him and his NBA opportunity.
04:19 Not just the chance to keep a roster spot, but the opportunity to become a star.
04:23 Some let the fire burn them alive and others allow it to mold them.
04:27 When Bam needed to face the fire, he dove in head first.
04:31 Earlier in his rookie season, Bam earned some minutes at the end of the first half, but did absolutely nothing with them.
04:37 3,003 minutes and 8 seconds later, Spoh pulled Bam and acknowledged that he wasn't ready to be out there yet with the best in the business.
04:44 While this was a brutal shot to Bam's ego, he knew he couldn't let the next opportunity slip, because who knows when the following would come.
04:51 Several weeks later, Heat's starting center Hassan Whiteside was hurt and Spoh needed his rookie big Bam to come in the clutch.
04:57 The Heat were playing the San Antonio Spurs and a prime LaMarcus Aldridge was cooking that season.
05:02 Averaging 23 points per game on 51% from the floor.
05:06 Spoh looked at Bam hesitantly, but Bam immediately said, "Just throw me into the fire."
05:11 Bam's task was challenging and while Aldridge finished the game with 31 points, Bam showed grit and promised that Spoh was looking for it.
05:18 Something clicked for Bam on the court that night. Spoh saw it.
05:21 This earned him an opportunity to take the floor earlier the next game.
05:25 A few days later, Bam racked up his first double-double.
05:28 The more Bam played, it became clear that he was the future big Miami needed and deserved, not Whiteside.
05:34 Today, Bam Adebayo is on a max contract with the Miami Heat and is respected as one of, if not the best defender in the NBA.
05:41 Most of all, Bam's mother will never have to work a day again.
05:44 The days struggling to raise a son in a beaten up trailer, working an entire day just to come home hungry were over.
05:51 Marilyn Blount did an unbelievable job raising Bam with what she had.
05:54 Teaching her son to never forget where he came from and to never lose sight of where he's going.
05:59 I'm James and I hope you enjoyed Storytime.
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