This is a classic matchup of big men. Not since the T-Rex and Triceratops fought in prehistoric times will two forces of nature determine the lay of the land. Bam Adebayo, born in Newark, will be representing the Miami Heat in his second final, all of New Jersey and underdogs everywhere in this series. Adebayo will look to live up to his nickname which he earned at age of one by flipping over a coffee table like the Flintstone character Bam-Bamm Rubble did in the Flintstones. That makes "Bam" the irresistable force of the 2023 NBA Finals.
The immovable object that Adebayo will be looking to flip on this occasion is Denver Nuggets Serbian center Nikola Jokic, who has had his way in this post-season. Jokic is averaging a triple-double this postseason with 29.8 points, 13.1 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game. Adebayo is not concerned about big numbers against him so long as is able to remove him from his teammates success and serve the bottom line.
"If it ends in a win it doesn't matter", Adebayo responded, "You can talk about stats and this guy did this and that but at the end of the day they remember the people who won."
Adebayo speaks with a deep voice which signals the imposing presence he brings in his own right, with a rare mix of strength, speed and agility rarely seen in a center. He will need to use this skill set to offset the Nuggets main weapon in this playoffs and make this a competitive series. He is also mentally stronger with a belief in his team, who have made an unlikely run to the finals from the number eight seed position in the Eastern Conference.
"When you got the trust in your fifteen, the coaching staff and whoever is getting on that plane with you," Adebayo pointed out at the NBA Finals Media Day, "When everybody believes and have a trust, I feel like you can do anything."
For Adebayo, its been about obstacle flipping throughout his career, stemming from his childhood witnessing his mother overcome financial hardship, unconventional living spaces while working alone as a single mother and finding ways again and again to provide for his survival which not only garnered his respect for her but taught him leadership, something he took with him in basketball at every level as well as life,
"Having that type of person lead I feel like it was just bound for me to be able to get in that mode," Adebayo said. "Definitely uncomfortable when you first start being, when people start looking at you and say you have to be more vocal, be the leader of the ship. I just look back at those days how my mom just lived for me."
Adebayo has come a long way from Newark to Kentucky to Miami and the experiences he has acquired in such a short time span has served him well in playoff battles in the east. If Adebayo is to complete the impossible dream it may very well depend on moves and countermoves a playoff series is often decided on. He sees it in simple terms
"I feel likes the biggest thing in a lot of series, not letting me be comfortable in the paint, get to my spots, Adebayo explained, "So basically for me watching film, making adjustments and figuring it out."
Bam Adebayo has learned much from observation and applying what he has seen and making it a reality on the court. If there is a way to defeat the juggernaut known as the Denver Nuggets, Adebayo will find a way to flip that script in his favor.
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