Dwyane Wade is one of Miami’s favourite sons. In 14-and-a-half seasons for the Miami Heat (2003-2016, 2018-2019), he dazzled with highlight reel plays, scored over 20,0000 points, collected a handful of awards, and most importantly, helped guide the franchise to three championships.

Now that ‘The Flash’ is happily retired, though, the team and its fans are itching to find a new homegrown, superstar-calibre talent. While the current squad is filled with a bunch of high-potential youngsters, one man has emerged the most: Bam Adebayo.

Heat president Pat Riley is among the many believers. He gushed about the 22-year-old’s impressive attitude towards the game during a recent interview with Ira Winderman of South Florida Sentinel:

“I’ve never met a man like this, a player, who was so respectful, had so much dignity, was such a team guy, that has grown to a point where he wants this responsibility,”

“He reminds me a lot of Dwyane, in Dwyane’s attitude. Dwyane came in, he was a no-nonsense guy. He went right to work, and he became a great player, and he had an attitude and a competitiveness and a killer instinct, besides the talent. But he had this attitude that was above and beyond.

“I think that’s what Bam is. Bam possesses this attitude about doing it the right way and doing it every day.”

Adebayo has showcased a very encouraging surge in the 2019-20 season. With all-around averages of 16.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game on 56.7% shooting, he earned his first All-Star selection last February.

Also included in his list of notable performances on the year is holding reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to a season-low 13 points.

The leap is playing a huge role in Miami’s sudden return as a real playoff contender. Prior to the NBA’s hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Heat ranked fourth in the Eastern Conference (41-24) while also posting the third-best home record in the league (27-5).

Though the road to matching Wade’s stature still pretty long – and inevitably bumpy – Adebayo’s work ethic, upside, two-way play, and guidance from a world-class organization are all good signs. He will be the team’s workhorse in the years to come.