ORLANDO, Fla.---
If you want to find Isaiah Adams the gym is a great place to start.
“I do come in here late nights If I’m not sleepy,” Adams said as he lines up a foul shot inside the UCF practice gym. “Then I’ll just be like let me just go to the gym and I get in some shots.”
The UCF forward is living on campus this summer and getting in as much practice as he can. He’s up to 221 lbs thanks to the weight room. He said he was 200 lbs when he first arrived at school. He knows he’ll need a bigger frame if he wants to compete at the next level.
“Just to be able to use the facilities whenever I need to,” Adams said. “Going to the weight room everyday, it’s been very helpful.”
In April Adams declared for the NBA draft while maintaining his eligibility at UCF. As a freshman he averaged 9.9 ppg, 3.9 reg, and 1.5 apg.
“My freshman season at UCF, it was like a roller coaster,” Adams said.
The low was a bout with pneumonia which caused him to miss their January 2nd game at USF.
“I lost like 10-15 pounds, it was crazy,” Adams said.
It took a few weeks for Adams to find his form again. His best game of the season came in a 26 point performance at Tulane February 20th. During Adams final six games of the year he averaged 15.3 ppg and shot 48.8% from three.
“That’s when everything started to click for me,” Adams. “To get an understanding of when and how to get my shots.”
The two biggest things he’s working on now are his non shooting hand and that outside shot. He’s gotten the chance to train with pros like New Orleans Pelicans guard Kira Lewis and played in front of NBA agents in Miami.
“Just being around other high level guys and working out for NBA teams and just connections overall,” Adams said. “I’ve made so many connections from [the process] and talking to different people it’s been very helpful for me.”
Adams is leaving the door open for a return to school. In 2019 the NCAA changed its rules to make it easier for players to explore their NBA potential.
“I talked to coach [Johnny] Dawkins about it,” Adams said. “He said they didn’t have this opportunity when they were younger and he wished they would have because it’s a great opportunity, just go there and work out for NBA teams and be able to still come back. The NBA teams and the scouts will give you a direct answer on what it is that they want you to work on.”
When you understand how Adams grew up you can’t blame him for wanting to test the NBA waters. As a kid in Jacksonville, him, his mother Tiffany, and his two siblings lived in a homeless shelter for a period of 18 months.
“It’s very exciting just to know that in the next couple years I could be in a position to help my family,” Adams said.
In 2008 Adams mother, Tiffany was working as a waitress and struggling to pay the bills while raising three kids. It wasn’t until she secured a job as a bank teller that the family was able to save enough money to move into an apartment. In March of 2021 Spectrum Sports 360 chronicled the Adams family entire journey. You can read the full story here.
“He understands that I don’t look for anything back from them, they cannot pay me back for anything,” Tiffany Adams said. “He understands that the way they show their gratitude and respect and appreciation is by doing what they need to do for themselves and growing from our experiences.”
Tiffany Adams now works with organizations like Family Promise of Jacksonville to help people secure affordable housing. Her son said that he’d like to make the NBA so that she doesn’t have to work anymore. She has other plans.
“The reason, the why I work in [the homeless sector] that will never change,” Tiffany Adams said. “I would definitely look towards trying to start an organization or have an organization that serves in a different capacity. Really focusing on providing opportunities for specifically black women that are entrepreneurs at heart and really just need the space, the opportunity to live out their purpose.”
Together they have big goals, but there’s no rush for it to happen now. They know the NBA will eventually be his final destination.
“If it comes to the opportunity for me to be able to take the [NBA] route I feel like I will want to do it,” Isaiah Adams said. “It just depends on when I go and work out for the NBA teams whatever feedback they give me. That will help me with my decision.”
“As much as I want to make decisions for him or kind of guide him,” Tiffany Adams said. “I’m trying to trust that he is aware of himself and aware of his path.”
“I’m just like very grateful for everything and my mom reminds me of that,” Isaiah Adams said. “To stay humble and grateful for all the stuff that’s happening to me and what could happen in the future.”