Bam Adebayo believes he could have broken Wilt Chamberlain's NBA record of 100 points if everything had gone right during his historic 83-point performance for the Miami Heat.
Adebayo became the second-highest scorer in a single NBA game when he dropped 83 points against the Washington Wizards in March 2026, moving past Kobe Bryant's famous 81-point performance.
The Heat star finished 20-of-43 from the field and made 36 of 43 free throws, with 31 points in the first quarter, 43 at half-time and 62 through three quarters.
Speaking on the Makeshift Podcast, Adebayo admitted that a better shooting night could have put him within touching distance of Chamberlain's record.
"I had 83 on a bad shooting night. If you really look at it. If you're lights out, like, why not? I would have passed Wilt," Adebayo said.
The 100-point mark has stood since Chamberlain achieved it in 1962, while Adebayo's 83 now sits between Chamberlain and Bryant in the NBA record books.
Adebayo also explained that the circumstances were perfect for a huge scoring night. Several Miami starters were unavailable, leaving him playing alongside bench players and two-way players.
After scoring 31 in the opening quarter, he realised a huge total could be possible. Adebayo had 43 by half-time and continued scoring despite expecting the Wizards to start sending extra defenders his way.
One of the biggest talking points from the performance was his 43 free-throw attempts. Adebayo pushed back against suggestions that he had simply manufactured trips to the line.
"People say, man you shot 43 free throws. If you watch the actual game and not just the last minute and a half or whatever it was. I got fouled the whole game," he added.
Adebayo insisted the fouls were genuine and said he simply had to make the resulting free throws.
The performance remains one of the most remarkable scoring nights in NBA history, but Adebayo now believes there was even more on the table. With 83 already behind him, the Heat star has revealed just how close he thinks he came to challenging a record that has survived for more than six decades.
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