LeBron James and Team USA had an impressive tune-up game victory over the Serbian national team, thanks to bench players like Bam Adebayo stepping up on the plate. The Miami Heat center, known for his interior presence, showed his long-range shooting, which earned the praise of the four-time NBA champion.
As the final buzzer sounded, Adebayo was the second leading scorer on the American national team, with 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists. He joined Steph Curry in showering Serbia with three-pointers, knocking down three beyond the rainbow arc.
Showcasing a new dimension of the game after scoring only 15 triples in the 2024–24 NBA season, Adebayo impressed LeBron James, earning a nickname that made Steph Curry and Klay Thompson popularized.
“Splash brother. The new Splash Brother. Bam Bam splash right there! Yeah Bam!” said James right after Team USA beat Serbia by 26 points.
“The new Splash Brother… Bam Bam Splash!” 😆
LBJ 🤝 Bam pic.twitter.com/Rp6hv6JGT2
— NBA (@NBA) July 17, 2024
Curry had the most three-pointers for Team USA against Serbia with six, as both he and Adebayo combined for nine of the 16 triples scored by the Americans. Anthony Edwards and Jrue Holiday joined the three-point party, making two each. James also had a decent outing, tallying 11 points and two assists.
On the side of the Serbians, Nikola Jokic led the team with 16 points, 11 rebounds and two assists. The three-time NBA MVP struggled against Team USA’s defense, shooting only 6-of-19.
LeBron James, Bam Adebayo pose for iconic Miami Heat photo
Team USA was able to bring the best American basketball players together for the 2024 Paris Olympics and they also got to mingle with former national team players on a reunion party. LeBron James and Bam Adebayo are rostered for this year’s Olympics and both of them have one thing in common: they both played for the Miami Heat.
Erik Spoelstra now serves as Team USA’s assistant coach and this has also been a chance for him to call the shots again for his former player, LeBron James. Also attending the Team USA reunion party was Dwyane Wade, who won two of his three championships with Spoelstra and James in the early 2010s.
Having all represented the Miami Heat, current player Bam Adebayo had a picture with former franchise players James and Wade alongside Spoelstra that went viral on social media.
Dwyane Wade and LeBron James formed the Miami Heat ‘Big Three’ alongside Chris Bosh. The trio, along with a young coach, Erik Spoelstra, went to the NBA Finals four times from 2011 to 2014, winning two NBA championships.
Since James and Wade left the team, Spoelstra has helped the team get back to the NBA Finals twice, with Bam Adebayo twice, but has failed to take home the top prize, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and the Boston Celtics in 2023.
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