Edrice “Bam” Adebayo said the last three months have been the quickest of his life. After losing, 75-73, to North Carolina in the Elite Eight, the Kentucky freshman declared for the NBA draft on April 5.

Adebayo, who spent three years at Northside before transferring to High Point Christian Academy for his senior season, excelled with one of college basketball’s biggest programs. He averaged a double-double (13 points and 12 rebounds) in 38 games as a Wildcat freshman. He accomplished that on a team with two other 2017 lottery picks in De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk.

“It was a lot of different emotions with seeing everybody’s lives change,” Adebayo said. “It’s a big step for all of us. It was a good experience. … We (teammates) are all happy for each other. We’re all like brothers. We’re going to cheer for one another. We all hugged each other backstage because we were proud of each other.”

Adebayo was selected 14th overall by the Miami Heat during the June 22 draft. With the NBA season set to begin in mid-October, it should be another quick three months for Adebayo.

“It’s gone by super fast, and it’s still going by fast,” he said. “My emotions were everywhere. While I was sitting at the table, my agent said, ‘Anything can happen.’ Every team was making trades, making discussions. Then my name got called.

“It was a sense of relief. I was happy it was over so I didn’t have to sit there and be worried anymore.”

It was relieving in that sense, but it was also the beginning of a slew of life changes for Adebayo. After doing photo shoots, media and more at the draft, he flew to Miami the following morning to meet with Heat officials and more media members.

It’s been a change for Adebayo’s mother, Marilyn Blount, too. Adebayo has said numerous times that his objective was to get to the NBA so that he can support Blount — the person who worked tirelessly to support him for 20 years.

“She’s been good. She’s adjusting. She’s enjoying life and she doesn’t have to work anymore,” Adebayo said. He’s moving Blount down to Miami. “She’s having the time of her life. It’s always been a dream of mine because I know how hard she’s struggled for me. She was a single mother taking care of an abnormal, you know, being 6-10 as a junior in high school.”

It’s continued to be an adjusting period for Adebayo. He’s now getting accustomed to playing for his third team — at three different levels — in three years. It helps that John Calipari and his staff at Kentucky have similar expectations as Erik Spoelstra and the Heat coaches.

“I feel like they think the same,” Adebayo said. “They want hard workers; people that are going to go through a brick wall and who are going to fight.”

The promising power forward said he was nervous going into his first NBA Summer League game.

“I air balled it a couple of times and got the butterflies out. That was it,” he said.

He settled in well. Adebayo scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots in a 74-67 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. He finished the summer fifth in scoring (17.5 points per game) and third in rebounding (8.3 per game).

“The third game, it started clicking for me. I started to get used to my teammates, and we started winning,” he said. “… I feel like you get to know (teammates) off the court, you get to know them on the court.”

Adebayo said he was most impressed with 22-year-old Monmouth product Justin Robinson. The 5-foot-8 guard “had the strength of somebody that is 6-10. He had the heard of an (Isaiah Thomas),” Adebayo said.

Adebayo hasn’t had a chance to meet teammates yet, but expects to mesh well with them. It will be different going from the summer league to playing alongside the likes of superstar center Hasan Whiteside and veteran point guard Goran Dragic, among others. He believes the ability to work above the rim he’s always shown will translate well.

“There’s more open space. There’s more shooters, so you’ve got to help more,” Adebayo said. “That gives me more open space.”

The one-time Northside Panther has been back in eastern North Carolina seeing friends and family for a few days. He’s enjoyed spending time at home before heading back to Miami, and loves the support that continues to pour out of Beaufort County.

“It’s been great. People still support me, even though I’m gone,” Adebayo said. “They still keep me in their prayers. It feels good.”