Bam Adebayo: “It’s Wilt, me and then Kobe. It sounds crazy”
Bam Adebayo had an unforgettable night on Tuesday, with a point total that places him behind only Wilt Chamberlain in the NBA record books.
Bam Adebayo had an unforgettable night on Tuesday, with a point total that places him behind only Wilt Chamberlain in the NBA record books. Adebayo scored 83 pointssetting league records for free throws made and attempted in a game for the Miami Heat in a 150-129 victory over the Washington Wizards.
“Absolutely surreal night,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Obviously, we’ve been lucky enough to be a part of a lot of big moments in this stadium. This one, it just happened. Moments happen and I’m grateful that we all get to be a part of them and witness them.”
Chamberlain went on to score 100 points, a record that has stood since 1962. Kobe Bryant, one of Adebayo’s basketball heroes, was No. 2 on the list with 81. Adebayo never thought he would be on that club.
And then came a night he will never forget.
“Wilt, me, and then Kobe,” Adebayo said. “It sounds crazy.”
Adebayo’s final statistics: 20 of 43 in field goals, 36 of 43 in free throws, 7 of 22 in triples. It was a statistic without equal in NBA history.
He cried as he hugged his mother, Marilyn Blount, before leaving the court after the game. Emotions were kept in check, until then.
“For me, it was just staying calm, staying focused and understanding that I can aspire to something special,” Adebayo said. “I didn’t think it would be 83. But living this moment is surreal, because, as I said, being able to do it at home, in front of my mother, in front of my people, in front of the local fans, is a mark in history that will be remembered forever.”
Adebayo’s career high, before Monday, was 41.
He had surpassed it at half-time.
“BAM BAM BAM,” former Heat forward LeBron James posted on social media. James held the Heat’s single-game record with 61 points, set on March 3, 2014. He is now No. 2 on the team’s roster, by a wide margin.
Adebayo had a brilliant start, scoring 31 points in the first quarter and 43 at halftime thanks to good shooting from the three-point line. However, he cooled off in the second half and shot below 37% from the field the rest of the game, becoming the only player to score 70 points while shooting below 50% from the field.
Despite his shooting issues, Adebayo was able to get to the free throw line with ease against a 29th-ranked Wizards defense that was desperate to prevent history from being made against him. The fourth quarter had a comical moment, with the Heat making it clear that they wanted Adebayo to get the ball and get to the line with Miami in the bonus, and the Wizards trying to foul others to stop the scoring rush.
With Adebayo closing in on Bryant’s 81 points, the Heat even began intentionally fouling the Wizards on defense to buy time.
“You have to give him credit,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe said. “In the first half, he shot great, scored really well. Obviously, he also came out and had something in the third quarter. Obviously, they kept him in the game, and there were a lot of fouls – 16 free throws in the fourth quarter. I tried to get the ball out of his hands, but he still made some free throws 40 feet from the basket. I can’t explain some of those fouls. That’s all I have to say about that.” Adebayo came into the game with a career-high 41, set on January 23, 2021 against Brooklyn. He needed less than half to overcome it.
It turned out to be that kind of night for Adebayo.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
