Bam Adebayo admits importance of 83-point game, surpassing Kobe Bryant in Heat vs Wizards

Bam Adebayo didn’t hesitate to rank his 83-point performance for the Miami Heat against the Washington Wizards as the most important moment in his NBA career.

“Number 1, for sure,” Adebayo told FanDuel Sports Network after the Heat’s 150-129 win in Miami, in front of a crowd excited to see him surpass the 81-point mark set by Kobe Bryant on January 22, 2006.

Wilt Chamberlain still holds the record for the most points scored by a single player in an NBA game, having posted 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks in 1962.

Only Wilt Chamberlain had a highest-scoring game than Adebayo

Adebayo, however, can still take pride in holding the second highest-scoring game in league history. “Obviously, top three performances of all time,” Adebayo told Norman Powell when his teammate mentioned Wilt and Kobe’s numbers.

Even though Chamberlain still tops the list, Adebayo’s performance counts with video evidence, something Wilt’s historic game doesn’t. It may not change the facts, but at least Bam can look back at the highlights from his historic night any time he wants.

How Adebayo reached the 83 points in historic night in Miami

It appeared to be written in the stars, as Adebayo admitted postgame that he felt this could be a special game when he already had 43 points at halftime. It all started with a strong first quarter, where his 31 points outscored the 29 scored by the entire Wizards team.

When he surpassed the 70-point mark in the fourth quarter and it was evident that Adebayo was on pace to surpass Bryant, the Heat did everything in their power to help Bam make history.

The final minutes at the Kaseya Center were wild, with the crowd on the edge of their seats as the Heat’s only intention was to help Bam score, whereas the Wizards tried to stop Adebayo from making them the victims of a record.

In the end, the Heat’s effort paid off as Adebayo got enough shots to surpass Kobe and set a new milestone. Getting to Chamberlain’s 100 points remains a nearly impossible goal for any player, but Adebayo got closer than many all-time greats.

Adebayo breaks the Heat record set by LeBron James

LeBron James held the previous record in franchise history, with 61 points for the Heat against the Charlotte Bobcats on March 3, 2014. On Tuesday night, Adebayo scored 20 of 43 field goals, 7 of 22 three-pointers, and 36 of 43 free throws to leave The King behind.

The numbers don’t lie. Adebayo has once again proved what he’s capable of, and even if he eventually has a night off, his 83-point performance will always be a reminder of how much respect he deserves.