Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo made history Tuesday night, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s legendary 81-point game with an 83-point bomb against the Washington Wizards, the second-biggest single-game total in NBA history.
Wilt Chamberlain still holds the all-time record, at 100.
The feat of scoring 83 points is amazing, if nothing than just by virtue of it having been done only once before in NBA history. However, in the aftermath of Adebayo eclipsing the late, great Bryant’s record the way in which the three-time all-star accomplished it has been the topic of much debate.
Adebayo scored his 83 on just 20-for-43 shooting from the floor and was only 7-for-22 from three-point range. These aren’t the kind red-hot shooting numbers you’d expect from a scoring record, but he was able to get to 83 by setting NBA records by going 36-of-43 from the free-throw line.
Those free-throw numbers are a point of contention for many who have taken issue with Adebayo, particularly because Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra began intentionally fouling near the end of the game to give him more opportunity. Another issue that detractors of the record take issue with is the fact that this was done against the putrid Washington Wizards, who were having the score run up against them in the pursuit of the record, to say nothing of the fact that Adebayo has never really been known as an explosive scorer, going into the Tuesday averaging just 18.9 points per game as Miami’s third-leading scorer.
With that said, 83 points in a game is still just that, which is why the topic has become as polarizing as it has.
Here’s a look at some of the best reaction to Adebayo’s historic night from around the NBA’s media landscape:
Talking about it on The Raptors Show on Wednesday, Matt Bonner, who was on the court playing for the Toronto Raptors when Bryant went off for 81 on Jan. 22, 2006, talked through both sides of the debate.
“I’m not mad about … chasing it,” Bonner said. “I’m not mad about keeping him in the game, even though you’re up 20 or 25 or whatever in the fourth quarter. I think, if you’ve got a guy going, why not? … And when you look at the minutes compared to the Kobe game, I think they played the same, pretty much. The fouls? I thought a lot of them actually were fouls. Like, the Wizards were just out of position.”
He later added: “The one thing I will say, Miami fouling when the game’s over to extend the game and to get more possessions so he can go for it? That’s poking the basketball gods right there. I don’t like that. That’s messing with the game.”
First Take goes ballistic debating the record
In this case, Smith took the kinder, more reasoned side to the argument while Russo represented those who are speaking out against its validity.
“I’m just going to say a few words then let Doggy go because Lord knows he’s going to be the spoiler here,” said Smith. “But 83 points is 83 points, and Bam Adebayo is one of the best people that you could ever meet in professional sports. He’s a really good guy, he’s a three-time all-star, he’s a better-than-average player, he’s a pretty damn-good player, he’s an all-star-calibre player. He’s not that kind of scorer. I mean, before this, his career high was 41 points, for crying out loud, so for him to drop 83 points last night, there’s a lot of things that we could take into consideration that I will leave to Doggy.”
Russo responded: “All right, Stephen, you want to bow down to this, go bow down. I am not bowing down. He took 43 shots. When David Thompson in 1978 scored 73, he was 28-of-38 from the field, when (Luka) Doncic did it a few years ago, he was 25-of-38, even Kobe only took 46 shots and he made 28 of them. He took 43 shots, under 50 per cent. …
“I mean, calm down with 83 points. Go ahead and put the sign up, bow down, have fun. On social media you can knock him dead. You wanna call me a guy who’s going to be a dark cloud? Go ahead, I don’t care. An old man screaming at my lawn? I’m not interested. But when you shoot 43 times and shoot less than 50 per cent, when you shoot 43 free throws, and you go 7-for-22 from three against a horrendous team and you’re in the game in the last five minutes and Spoelstra’s fouling the Wizards to get more possessions so he can get 83 points, that’s not the way it should be. And I’ll tell you right now, he’ll never admit it, but I bet (Heat team president) Pat Riley feels the same way.”
Miami media not fully on board with Adebayo’s record
Though it was from a player from their home media market, members of the Dan LeBatard Show discussed Adebayo’s scoring record Wednesday with more negativity than you might imagine from a Miami-based talk show.
“I’m gonna assume that today, all over the media, you will get people fervently, passionately and religiously protecting the honour of the late Kobe Bryant by feeling like Bam Adebayo’s name doesn’t belong beyond Kobe Bryant in scoring in a game,” LeBatard said. “So, the first thing I want to ask you guys, ridiculous though this is, Bam Adebayo scores 83 points in a game. Is that the single-best performance by a Miami Heat player in Heat history? Yes or no.”
Mike Ryan Ruiz responded to his host very simply: “It’s not remotely close to a GOAT performance.”
Ime Udoka doesn’t seem too impressed with Adebayo’s record
Following his team’s 113-99 win over the Raptors Tuesday, Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was asked about Adebayo’s 83-point game.
He didn’t seem all that impressed.
“The first thing you think is the how,” Udoka said. “Not because of him, but because of the way he plays. I saw he only made (seven) threes but with 40 free throws or something like that? That tells that story right there. And the Washington Wizards.”
Kelly Oubre ‘salty’ Adebyo eclipsed Bryant’s record
Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre was also asked about Adebayo’s record after his Sixers topped the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday.
He didn’t seem upset at the feat, per se, but was sad to see one of his hero’s signature accomplishments fall, and also pointed out the fact that Philadelphia teammate Joel Embiid went for 70 against the San Antonio Spurs just a couple years ago in, perhaps, a more impressive manner.
“For one, what I’m gonna say is, it’s legendary, the box score, the number,” Oubre said. “And shoutout to Bam. He just implemented himself in history. (But) I’m kinda salty that he bested Kobe. He’s one of my favourite players, for sure. But I’m gonna just say this, man, Joel did it efficiently, and he did it in three quarters.”
Oubre is exaggerating, of course, when he says Embiid got to 70 in three quarters, but he’s right about the efficiency. In that game, Embiid played 36 minutes and went 24-for-41 from the field.
Sam Amick believes Adebayo should have stopped at 81
Longtime NBA reporter Sam Amick of The Athletic believes Adebayo and the Heat should have stopped at 81 to keep Bryant’s record held sacrosanct in the modern NBA.
“Maybe this reaction is rooted in nostalgia for Bryant’s storied night against the Toronto Raptors in Los Angeles on Jan. 22, 2006, or the even deeper reflection that comes because of his tragic passing 14 years after that game,” wrote Amrick. “By virtue of human nature, his death puts greater weight on every one of his most cherished feats and creates a sense that they should be handled with a certain kind of care. And judging by the reaction of some of the people from Bryant’s past, whom I was in touch with after Adebayo’s outing, this sentiment wasn’t unique.
“That gesture alone — Adebayo calling it quits right as he hit 81 — would have masked all the messiness of this stat-chasing moment. There would be less focus on how the Heat helped Adebayo add to his total down the stretch, intentionally fouling in those final minutes to extend the game and getting him those two final free throws with 1:16 left before he finally departed. Ditto for the awkward confusion about his intentions at the end. The choice to stay in the game was hardly his only miss on the night — he made 20-of-43 overall and 7-of-22 from 3-point range — but it was the one that Kobe supporters will remember most.”
