If you had one guess what 6’10” Miami Heat rookie Bam Adebayo listens to in his headphones before games, what would you come up with?Despite his muscled physical appearance, Adebayo’s music choice will likely take you by surprise."I mean, "they just see a big dude that's 6-10 and they think he's listening to all the hip-hop and stuff like that. I just listen to my Katy Perry,” the former University of Kentucky star admitted to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel this week.Apparently, he’s been listening to the pop star since his college days, and hasn’t felt the need to stray from his pump-up routine."I mean, I'm not going to change because I'm in the NBA now,” the big man stated.“It's just her mood toward her music. She’s always happy and perky. So, I mean, I like to be happy. Might as well listen to happy music," he explained.Other than Perry, Adebayo has another favorite: the legend Whitney Houston."I play one Whitney Houston song," he said of “I Will Always Love You," “and after that I’m good.”
Whatever songs the 20-year-old rookie listened to this summer paid off. In three Summer League contests in Las Vegas with the Heat, he averaged an impressive 15.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals over 29.0 minutes per game. Previously, over four games in Orlando, he posted 17.5 points, 8.3 boards and 2.3 blocks in 30.8 minutes per contest.
It remains to be seen if and where Heat coach Erik Spoelstra gives Adebayo playing time at the start of the upcoming season. Since he most likely could play both the four or the five, he will be competing with some mix of Hassan Whiteside, Luke Babbitt, AJ Hammons, Udonis Haslem, James Johnson, Kelly Olynyk and Okaro White at those positions.
Given the high-energy nature of his game on both ends of the floor, he might have the opportunity to make an impact immediately. Judging by some comments earlier this month, it seems as though the team thinks highly of him.
“It's something maybe he hasn't been asked to do in the past,” Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn said of Adebayo’s offensive role after his best offensive game of the Summer. “But we're giving him the freedom to get the ball down low, to make plays for us. At the end of the day, we want him rebounding, we want him defending. Those will be the things we focus on the most.”
“Athletically and energetically, he's a beast for a 19-year-old,” Quinn noted at the time. “Obviously we're going to ask even more from him. Can he get one more rebound? Can he get one more block shot? How many extra efforts can you make that impact winning? That's what we're going to need this coming season.”
It remains to be seen what role he will play. However, there is one given: the rookie will be jamming out to “Firework”, “Teenage Dream” and more top Katy Perry hits before games.