By Matija Šerić
On Tuesday, March 10, a new page in NBA history was written. In the game between the Miami Heat and the Washington Wizards, the Heat’s center, Bam Adebayo, scored 83 points! He became the second-highest scorer in a single NBA game, surpassing the late Kobe Bryant, who scored 81 points in 2006 against the Toronto Raptors. The all-time record remains with Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 100 points back in 1962.
A Historic Moment
Undoubtedly, this is a moment that will enter the history books. Practically no rational person expected anyone to surpass Bryant’s 81 points anytime soon—but it happened. While some celebrate Adebayo as a basketball maestro reaching incredible heights, others rightly criticize the player, the Heat, the Wizards, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
An Unexpected Opportunity
Let’s start with the facts and examine what actually happened on Tuesday night (CET). In Miami, the Heat, fighting for a playoff spot (currently 6th in the Eastern Conference), hosted a weak Washington team, second-to-last in the East. The home team were favorites for whom every win mattered, while the visiting team had almost nothing to play for—they couldn’t make the play-in tournament nor risk relegation. The Heat won 150–129. Few expected Adebayo to shine and become the second-highest scorer in a single game. The opportunity presented itself—better said, uninterested visitors from the U.S. capital.
Point by Point to the Record
By the end of the first quarter, Adebayo had scored 31 points; at halftime, 43; after the third quarter, 62; and finally, he finished with 83 points. Although the point total is impressive, examining how the points were scored gives a completely different impression. The Heat star achieved a big milestone, but much of that success was artificially created—it was not purely a result of spontaneous basketball skill.
Bam – Selfish Player No. 1
Believe it or not, Adebayo shot 20-of-43 from the field (46%), 7-of-22 from three (31%), and 36-of-43 from the free-throw line. His free-throw numbers set a historical record. He also added nine rebounds and three assists. All in all, it is immediately clear that Adebayo was an absolutely selfish player. Despite 83 points, he didn’t record a double-double, and a triple-double was out of the question. Players like Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook, like it or not, play versatile basketball and contribute maximally to their teams.
Poor Field Shooting and a Flood of Free Throws
Adebayo was not like that. The structure of his scoring is problematic. Generally, shooting under 50% from the field is not particularly impressive. While Bam shot a lot, he could and should have done better. The fact that almost half of his points (43%) came from the free-throw line is alarming—he made 14-of-16 in the fourth quarter alone. Admittedly, Adebayo said he didn’t draw the fouls himself—Wizards players did. That’s true, but it doesn’t mean that drawing fouls from arguably the league’s weakest team is some sort of masterful feat. It indicates that other players could have scored as much if given the same opportunity. If the 28-year-old center had played a genuinely excellent game, he could have scored over 100 points.
Desperate Wizards
The Wizards played terribly, as they have all season, and once Bam got going, he and his teammates pushed for the record in the third quarter. That’s why he played 42 of 48 minutes. The Wizards even helped by failing to double-team him until the final quarter. Obviously, they didn’t care what would happen. Even though Brian Keefe’s team was ineffective, this should never have occurred. Cynics might say that this was the only way for a forgettable season to get global headlines. Negative publicity can still be positive.
Unsportsmanlike Record-Chasing
Intentionally chasing a record against the league’s worst team sounds largely unsportsmanlike. Especially since the entire Heat team was essentially set up for Bam to score. All other Miami starters (Myron Gardner, Davion Mitchell, Pelle Larsson, and Kasparas Jakucionis) scored a total of 31 points! It’s no wonder a large number of NBA fans criticized the Heat and Adebayo.
“Everyone wants to be mad at me, but they should be mad at their coach for not doubling me when I scored 30 points in the first quarter… I’m not the one who allowed myself to play one-on-one all game until I reached 70 points nine minutes from the end. That’s the madness of calling it an allegedly unethical side of basketball. If I have 70 points nine minutes left, who says, ‘Coach, take me out of the game’? Come on,” Bam said at the press conference.
One fan responded on social media: “You’re missing one thing—Miami had a huge lead. Both teams’ coaches deliberately set it up to get you to the free-throw line. NBA, Wizards, and Heat worked together to give you a huge boost to 83 points. If this was all you, without any ‘helping wheels,’ then do it again. Your second-best scoring game was in 2021 against Brooklyn—with 41 points. More than five years ago! So, Bam, if this 83-point game was all you, without assistance, then do it again.”
Comparison to Bryant Isn’t Fair
Another fan, who cannot fathom Bam being anywhere near Kobe or Wilt in the record books, wrote: “This guy is really immature. Kobe, aside from his 81-point game, had several opportunities for huge performances but didn’t take them. Bam practically disrespects his coach, who allowed him this big night.” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra replied that no one would apologize for not benching Adebayo when they led by about 30 points.
The fan makes a valid point. Kobe, in many instances, could have scored over 81 points but chose not to, stopping at 50+. In the 2006 game against the Raptors on January 22, when he scored 81, he made only 18 points from free throws, shot 60% from the field, and 7-of-13 from three. Clearly, a far superior performance than Bam’s recent outing.
Heat – Below Average Eastern Conference Team
Before the game against the Wizards, Bam averaged 18.9 points per game and 4.8 free throws per game. The question, as many fans and analysts have noted, is whether Adebayo can replicate this feat. Highly unlikely. In the next game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Kaseya Center, the Heat won 112–105. Adebayo scored 21 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. That is his reality on a Heat team far from ideal. If they make the playoffs, it will be a good result, but bigger achievements this season are beyond their reach.
Adebayo – Player Who Isn’t Great
Although Bam has entered the history books, if he does not repeat something similar, he will be seen as a fraud among true basketball icons like Kobe and Chamberlain. His 83 points highlight some of what’s wrong with the NBA: the lack of competitiveness in the East and the manipulation of big numbers to create a spectacle that isn’t one. This outcome resembles recreational feats on All-Star weekend. The NBA needs to restructure to prevent such artificial legends from being created. There is no doubt that Adam Silver bears responsibility for scenarios that bring publicity and money at the expense of basketball quality. This must stop.
