Bam Adebayo receives NBA social justice honor during annual youth camp

MIAMI — Inside the Slam Academy gymnasium, Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo spent time answering questions from youngsters attending his annual youth basketball camp on Sunday.

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That hands-on approach to leadership is one of the reasons Adebayo was presented with the 2026 NBA Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award.

“Boy, would have never thought we’d be here,” Adebayo said.

From toy drives and backpack giveaways to turkey drives and working with Miami’s youth, Adebayo’s community efforts caught the attention of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

“But your unwavering commitment to extending opportunities for young people,” Abdul-Jabbar said in a special video message before presenting the 29-year-old with the award.

“The Bam Books and Brotherhood Foundation, what it’s doing for kids to be literate, into sports, you can’t put a price on that kid engagement,” said James Cadogan, executive director of the NBA Social Justice Coalition. “But you can tell it’s authentic and from the heart.”

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Cadogan said it was Adebayo’s consistency that stood out.

“It’s not just a me thing. To get this award, you have to impact a lot of lives. I feel like I’ve done that over the course of my career,” Adebayo said. “To be able to finally get the award… it’s not a big deal to me because I feel like impacting lives is more important.”

Humble is the best way to describe the nearly 7-foot star, with values he said were ingrained in him by his biggest fan — his mother.

“It warms my heart when I see her smile a lot,” Adebayo said. “Her seeing that I’m trying to do something good in this world — that goes a long way.”

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