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Gloria Fung

The WNBA recently announced Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson, 28, as their unanimous pick for MVP this year. With an average of 26.9 points and 11.8 this season, the forward is only the second player ever in the league to win the title with unanimous votes since the league launched in 1997.

While she’ll likely be celebrating her victory with teammates and family, she might also be sharing this career highlight with her rumoured boyfriend, fellow basketball pro Bam Adebayo, 27.

Speculation around the two escalated when a photo was posted on the Miami Heat’s X (formerly Twitter) account. The pic, captioned, “A’random [apostrophe included] photo of Bam on this lovely Sunday,” following the announcement of Wilson’s win, seemed to confirm the ballers’ relationship.
In September, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava slipped when asked why Wilson was in attendance at the ceremony when she presented Adebayo with the key to the city. She told reporters that Wilson’s appearance might have “something to do with Bam and the Heat”.

Despite these telltale signs of the two’s relationship, the two players neither confirmed nor denied their involvement. Taking home the MVP title for the third time, it could well be that Wilson prefers the spotlight on her performance on the court rather than her personal relationship.
With a lucrative contract extension with the Miami Heat, endorsement deals, and running a charitable foundation, Adebayo also has plenty on his plate. So what do we know about him?
Bam Adebayo’s humble beginnings

Born Edrice Femi Adebayo in New Jersey, the player goes by the nickname Bam, which his mother gave him after The Flintstones character Bamm-Bamm Rubble.
As a child, Adebayo moved to North Carolina with his mother, where they lived in a trailer park. In an August 2023 interview with Playmaker HQ, he described his struggles growing up.

“I come from a single-wide trailer in the rural area of a small town in North Carolina. If you go to my hometown, you’d be like, ‘There’s no way somebody makes it out of this,’” he said.
Raised by his mother and having little contact with his father, Adebayo credits his mother for instilling strong work ethics and values in him. “I didn’t really realise I was poor until I was probably like 16 because my mom had done such a great job of comforting me and making me feel like I had enough. … She was always driven to want to take care of me.”
From rags to riches

Things started looking up when he was drafted into the NBA in 2017 after playing for the University of Kentucky’s Wildcats. He was the 14th pick and signed on with the Miami Heat, where he’s played for seven seasons. He signed an extension contract with the team this summer that will reportedly bring in US$166 million over three years.

Alongside playing for the Heat, he also represented Team USA at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, both times taking home the gold medal.

Besides his lucrative contract, Adebayo has also signed name, image and likeness deals with various brands. In 2019, he joined the ranks of LeBron James and Kevin Durant by becoming a Nike athlete. Though he doesn’t have his own signature shoe, he signed on with the Jordan brand starting from the 2021-22 season, which sees him wearing Air Jordans exclusively on court. However, he’s recently begun wearing Nike sneakers, which suggests the partnership might be over.
Paying it forward

The successful player is giving back to the community and founded the Bam, Books & Brotherhood Foundation, which aims to help underprivileged and at-risk students in the South Florida and North Carolina area. The foundation provides means and school supplies and hosts the annual Bam’s Summer Basketball Camps.
To date, the foundation has provided meals to more than 25,000 families and invited 800 youth athletes to the basketball camp.


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Fame and celebrity

Who is the Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo? The rags-to-riches centre-forward has joined the ranks of LeBron James and Kevin Durant by becoming a Nike athlete – and may be dating WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson

Meet the Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo, who may be dating WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson. Photos: Las Vegas Sun via AP; Getty Images via AFP

Las Vegas Aces centre A’ja Wilson celebrates a play against the Chicago Sky during a WNBA basketball game in September, in Las Vegas. Photo: Las Vegas Sun via Associated Press

Bam Adebayo is rumoured to be in a relationship with A’ja Wilson. Photo: @bam1of1/Instagram

A Polaroid of Bam Adebayo taken in September, in Miami, Florida. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

Bam Adebayo gets his nickname from The Flintstones. Photo: @bam1of1/Instagram

Bam Adebayo comes from an impoverished background. Photo: @bam1of1/Instagram

Bam Adebayo played basketball for the University of Kentucky. Photo: @bam1of1/Instagram

Bam Adebayo represented the United States at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics. Photo: @bam1of1/Instagram

In addition to his contract with the Miami Heat, Bam Adebayo has various brand deals. Photo: @bam1of1/Instagram

Bam Adebayo’s foundation helps underprivileged youth in South Florida and North Carolina. Photo: @bam1of1/Instagram

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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has courted controversy over the years. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

NFL star Aaron Rodgers’ brother Jordan also played American football. Photo: @jrodgers11/Instagram

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JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers got married in May 2022. Photo: @jrodgers11/Instagram

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Travis Hunter and Leanna Lenee have been together for five years. Photo: @db3_tip/Instagram 

Travis Hunter and Leanna Lenee met while they were still teenagers. Photo: @db3_tip/Instagram 

Leanna Lenee has called Travis Hunter the “man of [her] dreams”. Photo: @db3_tip/Instagram 

Travis Hunter and Leanna Lenee got engaged in February. Photo: @db3_tip/Instagram 

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Aaron Rodgers’ girlfriend Mallory Edens is the daughter of a billionaire. Photo: @malloryedens/Instagram

Mallory Edens is a model, actress and film producer. Photo: @malloryedens/Instagram 

Mallory Edens used to ride horses and run track. Photo: @malloryedens/Instagram

Mallory Edens wore a T-shirt perceived to be a dig at Drake to a basketball game in May 2019. Photo: @malloryedens/Instagram

Is Shailene Woodley dating Roberta Colindrez after Aaron Rodgers? Reports suggest the Divergent star may have a thing with her Mexican-American Cult of Life co-star

Actress Shailene Woodley was reportedly spotted getting close to her Cult of Love co-star Roberta Colindrez at Thanksgiving. Photos: AP; @robotika/Instagram

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Roberta Colindrez was born in Mexico. Photo: @robotika/Instagram

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Roberta Colindrez was in Girls and Cassandro. Photo: @robotika/Instagram 

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Alina Thyregod and her boyfriend Caleb Williams. Photo: @NFL/X

Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears was previously dating Valery Orellana. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

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Adebayo represented Team USA at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, both times winning gold, and has signed an extension contract with the Miami Heat that will reportedly bring in US$166 million over 3 years


Adebayo represented Team USA at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, both times winning gold, and has signed an extension contract with the Miami Heat that will reportedly bring in US$166 million over 3 years.
