MIAMI – After Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo scored 83 points on Tuesday night to pass Kobe Bryant's 81 for the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, it has no doubt led to polarization in reactions. While the 83 points scored by the Heat's face of the franchise in Adebayo was labeled “unethical” to some in the sports world, the star himself has fired back at some of the talking points.
The people online who have questioned the ethics of the 83-point game pointed to the 43 free-throw attempts by Adebayo or Miami intentionally fouling and missing free throws to save time or gain more possessions. Some have even said that Adebayo should've checked out before passing Bryant's to show respect.
“I'm like, ‘Listen, I'm a Kobe fan. I got close to his record. What do you think I'm gonna do? Try to break it?' I'm pretty sure if I had 81 and Kobe was on his way, he was not being like, ‘You know what, I'm gonna check myself out with nine minutes left, but I got 70.' Be serious,” Adebayo said after Thursday's 112-105 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Bam Adebayo on why he wasn’t surprised to see the reactions from scoring 83 and being a fan of Kobe Bryant; #HeatNation
“I'm pretty sure if I had 81 and Kobe was on his way, he was not being like ‘I'm gonna check myself out with nine minutes left, but I got 70.’ Be serious.” pic.twitter.com/pOdFxSlza7
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) March 13, 2026
Heat's Bam Adebayo on his “pinch-me moment”
Whether people argue if the Heat star's 83-point night was unethical or not, no one can take away the moment from the 28-year-old. Adebayo would give insight into how it's been a “pinch-me moment” ever since Tuesday night's historic game.
“For the last 48 hours, it's kind of like…I'm kind of in awe of myself,” Adebayo said after recording 21 points and eight rebounds in the win over Milwaukee on Thursday. “Because someone will ask, ‘What's my career-high?' You're like 83. And this isn't like the YMCA, this is the highest level of basketball…it's still a pinch me moment. And, like Kobe said, ‘You've got to be in shape. You've got to have great endurance, be in shape, and really catch that.' And I understand it now, because the next game is the one you got to worry about.”
Bam Adebayo speaks more about it sinking in more to him that he not just scored 83 points, but that his name is among NBA legends. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/3tjj2TpbAS
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) March 13, 2026
At any rate, Adebayo and Miami now look to extend their seven-game winning streak on Saturday against the Orlando Magic.
