LAS VEGAS – Heat big man Bay Adebayo is in Las Vegas getting ready to represent Team USA in the Olympics in Tokyo.
Adebayo said the team had a great first day as the 12-man roster gets to know each other.
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Adebayo said, “Learning the schemes, learning the concepts of the USA way, how to come together to get a gold medal, it’s pretty simple.”
In terms of taking on a big workload, that’s not a change for Adebayo. He said, “That’s one thing I do in the offseason I put my body through the ringer so I can be prepared for whatever task I have at hand.”
Adebayo said he learned this season that anything can happen in a given year.
He sees playing with Team USA as a great opportunity for him.
When he first tried out for Team USA, Adebayo was cut.
He said, “It was just a chip. I’ve always excelled if I had a chip or something more motivating... being cut was a motivation for me. I felt I should’ve been on the team... It’s time to show why I got this opportunity and that ultimate goal is to get a gold medal.”
Adebayo said as a fifth year player, he can help some of the younger players, but he’s not quite a veteran yet. He still thinks of himself as one of the younger players.
Playing for his country is a special honor, “Means a lot. I get to wear USA across my chest and go out there and compete against the different countries and get to see a different side of the world... It’ll be great to get the gold medal because I’m not only representing the USA, I’m representing my family, my team, my city, and everyone is counting on you, so it’s a big responsibility.”