Working with Phenom Hoops, we get the pleasure of seeing several talented prospects at a young age and continue to watch them until their college days.' Then we get a chance to watch them become stars at the next level, putting in the same hard work we saw on the high school courts.
But it continues to give us pleasure to see these young men achieving their dreams at the highest level.' That is why we want to have a little Thursday Throwback, as two Phenom Alums are battling it out in the Eastern Conference Finals and looking to compete for an NBA title.
Miami's Bam Adebayo and Boston's Grant Williams are two alums that have made their mark early on in the NBA. Adebayo is an All-Star on the court, while Williams continues to bring that mentality he had in high school, giving the Celtics a key piece for the future.
Let's take a stroll back though through memory lane to what we saw from these two prospects back in the day.
Bam Adebayo has been an absolute monster, which is why he was named an All-Star and on the 2019-2020 All-Defensive team.' Coming into the league, Adebayo had to learn and adjust to the NBA game but still was productive in his rookie season.' He took even more steps the following year, increasing his points, rebounds, minutes, and starts.' This year though, Adebayo has shown that he is the star many saw back in high school at Northside and High Point Christian.
Looking back, Adebayo was an absolute stud on the court. During his junior season, he was posting outrageous numbers of 32 points and 21 rebounds at Northside. He then averaged nearly 19 points and 13 rebounds at High Point Christian Academy, helping lead his team to an appearance in the NCISAA state championship game.
Bam was such a dominant figure on the court with his size and strength' there weren't many that could match up to him.' He used his body well to establish position down low and moved well in running the floor and looking to rip the rim down.' Adebayo always had a tremendous motor as well, something he is continuing to show with the Heat.' Now, it has been noted his work ethic with his game and his impact on the floor, continuing to make plays on both sides. And it is clear, Adebayo is already a star and is going to be a focal piece in the NBA for years to come.
Now looking at Grant Williams, who is playing a key role in adding depth for the Boston Celtics. Williams, who was a star in North Carolina at Providence Day, continues to bring that worker's mentality to the court, something that helped him earn First-Team All-American honors, SEC Player of the Year, and several more honors at Tennessee.
That chip and the hard work that Williams has put in has helped him get where he is today. Here is what we had to say about him over three years ago.
'We have watched Grant Williams countless times in his high school career. He always demonstrated a toughness and competitive spirit that was not often seen in his peers' One thing was for certain; Grant always had that burning desire to be the best he could be. You see, for Grant Williams, winning always mattered. He did all the simple things that are often overlooked, but more importantly, he had something to prove every time he stepped onto the court.'
Read full article: https://phenomhoopreport.com/you-cant-measure-heart-66-grant-williams-tennessee/
Now, we get the pleasure to watch these two North Carolina prospects, who we had the joy to watch in high school and in college, now compete on the floor at the highest level in the NBA in the Eastern Conference Finals.