Heat Star Bam Adebayo Was Raised Alone by His Mother in a Single-Wide Trailer
Published June 7 2023, 11:14 a.m. ET
The Miami Heat have proven all season long that they shouldn't be underestimated. They've battled with the Denver Nuggets over the course of the NBA finals so far, and have refused to go away. One of the chief reasons for their success all season long has been Bam Adebayo, a key to the team on both offense and defense.
Now, as Bam has continued to prove himself on the court, many want to learn more about who his parents are and where he comes from.
Who are Bam Adebayo's parents?
Bam was born on July 18, 1997, and grew up in Newark, N.J. Bam, who was originally named Edrice Femi Adebayo, was born to his mother Marilyn Blout and his father John Adebayo. His mother raised him in Newark after his parents split while he was still rather young. John, who is originally from Nigeria, met and fell in love with Marilyn after moving to the United States.
Ultimately, though, their marriage fell apart, and John decided to move back to Nigeria. After that, it was up to Marilyn to raise Bam, her only child, as a single mother. The two eventually moved to North Carolina, where they lived in a single-wide trailer while Marilyn worked as a cashier.
The two still have a good relationship to this day, and Bam frequently posts about his mother on Instagram.
Bam's nickname also comes from his mother, who gave it to him when he was just 1 year old. At the time, Marilyn noticed that Bam had certain similarities with the Flintstones child Bam Bam, who is famously rather destructive. Marilyn started to call him Bam, and the nickname has stuck with the NBA star for all these years.
John died in 2020, and was still in Nigeria at the time of his death.
What is Bam Adebayo's ethnicity?
Bam's father was a native Nigerian, while his mother is African American.
Bam and his father apparently didn't have much of a relationship, and it's clear that he relied heavily on his mother's support and influence throughout his time growing up.
In a post celebrating his mother on Instagram, Bam wrote about how inspiring he found his mom to be.
"'Sons may turn into men, and grow out of their toys, but in the hearts of their mothers, they are still little boys,'" the post read. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE WOMAN THAT MADE ME… ME !!! You’re Still The Greatest I Ever Seen Do This S--t Called Life," he wrote in the caption under a photo of them together.
Bam has been clear, both in his social media feeds and in interviews, about how much his mom means to him. In fact, the two still live in the same building in Miami together, although it sounds like each of them has their own residence.