EARLY CHILDHOOD
Edrice Femi “Bam” Adebayo’s journey began in a single parent
home in Newark, New Jersey. When he picked up a coffee table
at the age of 1 during an episode of The Flintstones, he earned
his nickname from his mother. At age seven, they moved to
a trailer home in the North Carolina floodplain. And while she
humbly worked as a cashier at a meat farm, Bam found a love
for basketball. Through adversity, to stardom, Bam has upheld
his mother Marilyn as his greatest role model, in both her
principles and her sacrifices.
COLLEGE CAREER
After his transfer to High Point Christian Academy as a high school senior, Adebayo was named 2016 North Carolina Mr. Basketball, with features in the 2016 McDonald’s All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic. As a five-star recruit, Adebayo was considered one of the best high school prospects of the 2016 class and later committed to the University of Kentucky. There he declared for the 2017 NBA Draft, where was selected 14th overall by the Miami Heat.
PROFESSIONAL
CAREER
A young but versatile big man on a storied team, an All-Star, and now, an Olympic champion, Bam’s might and mettle meet on the court. In 2020, he signed a max contract extension with the Heat. That same season, Bam averaged over 18 points, 9 rebounds, and over five assists following a breakout year where he helped lead his team to the Finals.
"I didn't want to be looked
at as a below-the-poverty-line kid. But now I think, that trailer is where I got the ambition. The anger.
If we had a better life, I wouldn't be here. That trailer made me."
In the house that Bam bought Marilyn in 2020, a sign reads, “Never forget where you came from, and never lose sight of where you are going.” Above it sits the picture of their North Carolina trailer home.
For Bam, his upbringing and his passion for helping others are bound together, beginning with a single mother’s love and ending with a village built on it. His passion is what inspired him to start BBB, whose mission is to change the lives of single mothers while developing future chances, challenges, and choices of children.
True to Bam’s principles, the foundation aims to support and enrich the communities that have poured so richly into his life. His programs, events, and innovative approaches to fundraising will enable other ‘at-promise’ youth to excel while strengthening the values and bonds within and between families.
BUILDING A LEGACY
19
97
2016
20
20
2021
THE IMPACT
10,000+
families have received meals, presents and assistance during holiday seasons
1,350+
students in the South Florida & North Carolina area have been provided with back-to-school necessities
800+
at risk youth athletes invited to annual Bam's Summer Basketball Camp
THE BOARD
BAM ADEBAYO
BOARD PRESIDENT
MARILYN BLOUNT
VICE PRESIDENT
KEVIN GRAVES
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CHAUNTEL GRAVES
TREASURER