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Bam Adebayo Faces Strong Backlash From Former NBA Star After Shocking 83-Point Outburst
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- Bam Adebayo Faces Strong Backlash From Former NBA Star After Shocking 83-Point Outburst
Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo etched his name in the history books with his 83-point game . Against the Washington Wizards, he became No. 2 on the all-time single-game scoring list, surpassing the late Kobe Bryant's 81-point game in 2006. However, Bryant's former teammate Nick Young thought the Heat star should've stopped before getting close to the 81-point record.
Adebayo went 20-for-43 from the field and 36-for-43 from the free-throw line. The Heat star also had nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Even after he set the record, fans criticized how he shot the ball.
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Months after the historic performance, Young appeared on "Club Shay Shay," a show hosted by Shannon Sharpe. The former Los Angeles Lakers star threw shade at Bam Adebayo.
Apr 12, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) warms-up before a game against the Atlanta Hawks at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
"He should've stopped. I didn't think nobody would break that. Not Bam. The way he did it too. Some stuff you just gotta leave for certain people. I think it's because it's Bam. His name is 'Bam.' Like c'mon. Who wants to see Bam over Kobe like that?" Young said .
However, Adebayo has ignored the hate he received after surpassing Bryant. The Heat star was aware of the online flak. During an interview with Scott Van Pelt, who brought up how the Wizards don't have a great defense, the three-time All-Star said this:
"You talk about how they don't play defense but they're an NBA team at the end of the day," Adebayo said .
Despite the backlash, Adebayo's name is forever engraved in the NBA's history books, and no one can take that away from him.
Bam Adebayo Said He Could've Scored 100 Points
Bam Adebayo appeared on the "Makeshift Podcast" and talked about scoring 83 points. According to the Heat star, he could have scored more since he had 83 points on a terrible shooting night.
"I had 83 on a bad shooting night… I would've passed Wilt. People were like 'you shot 43 free throws', if you actually watch the game and not the last minute and a half… I got fouled the whole game," he said .
Based on his shot attempts, if Adebayo had made all of his free throws, he could have scored 100 points. The big man missed seven shots from the charity stripe, which could have bumped up his total points to 90. He also missed 23 shots from the field. If he had made even five more shots, Adebayo could have dethroned NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain at the top spot of the list.
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