MIAMI — Bam Adebayo works. It’s what he does. It’s what made him an All-Star, got him a maximum-scale rookie contract extension, has him as a talking point by opposing coaches almost a nightly basis.
And yet for weeks, the fifth-year Miami Heat center also has been tirelessly working the interview room as his own campaign manager, pushing the electorate to view him as he sees himself, as the NBA’s rightful owner of the title of Defensive Player of the Year.
“I feel like at this point, I’m the only player really making those type of eye-popping plays,” Adebayo said this past week, when asked why he simply doesn’t settle for allowing his play to do the talking. “That’s my pride. I feel like if I’m going to go out there and give it my all, I want my accolade for it, in my opinion.”
