Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Summer school
Heat’s Adebayo works on versatility.
HOLLYWOOD — Bam Adebayo was dropping names during his Wednesday visit to the Miami Heat’s youth camp at Broward High School.
The athletic big man spoke of his recent workouts back home in North Carolina with former NBA big man Rasheed Wallace. He joked about Hassan Whiteside’s Instagram post of attempting to fit into a Lamborghini. He reflected on walking across the stage a year ago to shake hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
But when it came to the most newsworthy part of his to a small media group, the name that mattered most was Dion Waiters.
Out of sight and out of action since January ankle surgery, Waiters has been back on the court at AmericanAirlines Arena in workouts, including one that Wednesday featured Adebayo.
“It can’t do anything but make us better,” Adebayo said of seeing the Heat’s once-andexpected-again starting shootSouth ing guard back on the court. “I feel like Dion has another unbelievable ceiling to him.
“He’s looking good to me. You can tell he’s been in the gym because he’s been worksession
ing.”
In addition to Waiters, Adebayo said the recent workouts have included Derrick Jones Jr., Derrick Walton Jr., Wayne Ellington and James Johnson.
“Everybody is starting to come back now,” he said, soon to move on from American-Airlines Arena to participate in the Heat’s summer leagues in Sacramento and Las Vegas next month.
Amid rumors of the Heat pursuing players from LeBron James to Kawhi Leonard, Adebayo said he is leaving that to others as he works on his game.
“You’ve just got to worry about your team,” he said. “I just work out, block out the noise and we just go from there.
“That side of it I can’t speak of it. I’ve never been on that side.”
Taken at No. 14 in the first round of last year’s draft, Adebayo said he has devoted this summer to working on both his post game and his mid-range game.
“Being versatile is a big thing for the Miami Heat,” he said. “I’m willing to do that.”
Such development has included his time in North Carolina under the tutelage of Wallace, the former Detroit Pistons standout.
“I’ve known Rasheed since my junior year of high school,” Adebayo said. “We’ve worked out and just kept getting better. It’s not the first time me and Rasheed worked out. His workouts are pretty short and sweet. They’re to the point.
“I knew some people that knew him and boom, I’m working out with Rasheed Wallace.”
Of his advice for those at tonight’s draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, he said, “To finally get your name called, it’s like a weight off your shoulders. But then, you know, you’re right back to business.”
He reflected Wednesday that his greatest draft-night challenge a year ago was holding back tears as he was greeted by Silver. “I had to hurry and get off the stage,” he said.
Silver recently said he is considering a move to repeal the NBA’s one-anddone draft limitation, but Adebayo said it worked out best for him.
“I got to experience college for that one year,” he said. “So it was great to me. Some guys can go straight to the NBA.”
The plan next season is again to live in the same condo building as his mother, already committed to getting back to work.
“I’m in Miami for the rest of the summer,” he said, soon to be joined by fellow Heat big man Hassan Whiteside.
For now, Adebayo is admiring Whiteside from a distance, including a trip Tuesday to the Lamborghini factory in Italy.
“H has his ways of doing stuff,” Adebayo said. “I texted him about, ‘Why are you in a Lamborghini?’ He was like, ‘I’m just out here enjoying my life,’ which he should. He deserves it. So we’re just seeing him enjoy his life.”