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It’s no secret that Edrice “Bam” Adebayo’s mom, Marilyn Blount, was his No. 1 fan last season, his cheerleader from the moment he put on the Wildcats uniform until June when he traded it for a Miami Heat jersey.
Blount raised Adebayo as a single mother in North Carolina. The two lived in a trailer, and Blount worked as a cashier at a local meat farm to pay the bills. It allowed Adebayo to focus on his basketball dream.
Today, the former Kentucky star’s accolades include 14th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, a title that comes with a hefty, 4-year, multi-million-dollar contract. So, now that he can repay his mother for all her support, Adebayo said he used his first professional paycheck to take her out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.
...Oh, and he bought her living space on the fifth floor of his condominium in Miami. It’ll allow Blount to remain her son’s No. 1 fan in the stands of American Airlines Arena.
“It’s indescribable, just being able to tell your mom, ‘You don’t have to work anymore,’” Adebayo said. “She can just sit back and relax and you can buy her whatever she needs.”
Adebayo shared this purchase to reporters while in Lexington, Kentucky, for a youth camp with former teammate Malik Monk. Monk said he bought his own mom a house and a new car after signing with the Charlotte Hornets.
It seems the players of the Big Blue Nation know how to give credit where credit is due, and in very generous ways. Here is a list of other former Kentucky players who have used their NBA salaries to give back to the women who supported them the most.
Terrence Jones
Even before the 2012 NBA Draft, where he was drafted by the Houston Rockets, Jones surprised his mother for Mother’s Day with a new Cadillac SRX Crossover parked in front of her Portland home, dressed with a giant red bow.
Apparently, critics wondered how Jones had the money to purchase a new car before officially signing with an NBA team, but Jones had reportedly signed with an agent already, which means he most likely received a cash advance he’d pay back once he committed to a team that summer.
All technicalities aside, his mother’s reaction in the video below is precious.
John Wall
The Washington Wizards star point guard treated his mother, Frances Pulley, to a new Mercedes on her birthday in June 2015.
The video of his mother’s reaction was posted on Wall’s Instagram, but has since been deleted. But Kentucky Sports Radio’s Mrs. Tyler Thompson had this to say about the video content: “I love Frances’ face when she thinks she’s just being surprised with a family gathering then turning around and seeing the car. Priceless.”
(After Wall’s recent agreement to a 4-year, $170 million contract extension, Wall might even be able to treat his family to a newer model soon.)
Nerlens Noel
Noel’s career in the NBA was questionable after tearing his ACL in the February of his freshman season, but the 7-foot former ‘Cat ended up being picked up by the New Orleans Pelicans, much to his mother’s benefit later on. According to ASM Sports, Noel used some of his first-year earnings to surprise her with an Audi Q4 as a Christmas gift in 2013, posting on Instagram, “My Mom is the greatest person I know, God made her special you see, there’s nothing in this world she wouldn’t do for me.”
Andrew and Aaron Harrison
The Harrison twins had a successful sophomore season at Kentucky, which prompted them to enter the NBA Draft. Their mother, Marian Harrison, got a share of her sons’ success when they presented her with a new BMW for Mother’s Day in 2015.
Aaron posted a picture of his mom smiling as she hugs the hood of the shiny, new vehicle with the caption, “Love this lady more than anything! She deserves it. So happy my brother and I could make her smile this big . Love you momma!”
Compiling these makes me wonder... what will the moms of next year’s NBA Draft class get?