Bam Adebayo Wins 2020 NBA Skills Competition: Recap, Highlights, Reaction
Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo won the Skills Competition at the 2020 All-Star Weekend, defeating Indiana's Domantas Sabonis in a contest that saw three former champions knocked out in the first round.
Not known for his three-point shooting, Adebayo came in clutch behind the arc in each round and walked away with the trophy, which he noted he'd be giving to his mom.
The Skills Competition tests ball-handling, passing and shooting ability as contestants race to finish the obstacle course first in head-to-head matchups.
This year's field was as stacked as it's been in some time, with five of the eight players set to participate in Sunday's All-Star Game:
- Bam Adebayo, Heat
- Patrick Beverley, Clippers
- Spencer Dinwiddie, Nets
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (replacing Derrick Rose, Pistons)
- Khris Middleton, Bucks
- Domantas Sabonis, Pacers
- Pascal Siakam, Raptors
- Jayson Tatum, Celtics
In Round 1, Adebayo defeated Dinwiddie, Siakam took down Chicago native Beverley, Middleton just barely got past Gilgeous-Alexander, and Sabonis took down reigning champion Tatum.
Tatum entered the night looking to become the first individual Skills winner in back-to-back years since Dwyane Wade did it in 2006 and 2007. The other two previous Skills Competition winners, Dinwiddie (2018) and Beverley (2015), were also eliminated in the opening round.
Round 2 finished with Adebayo knocking off Siakam and Sabonis defeating Middleton in a tight race in which Middleton lost the ball and both missed three-pointers. That set up the final round of Adebayo and Sabonis, two of the game's up-and-comers appearing in their first All-Star Game and looking to make a statement.
Needless to say, both accomplished what they came to do. But only Adebayo left with the trophy.
