NBA stars like LeBron James have taken to social media to praise the Miami player’s incredible scoring record.
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Published March 11, 2026
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo’s 83-point performance against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday was the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, a historic stat line that no one expected.
The Heat star shot 20-for-43 from the floor and 7-for-22 from beyond the 3-point line. Thirty-six of his 83 points came from the free throw line (36-of-43).
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Coming into the game, Adebayo averaged just 18.9 points per night this season, ranking outside the league’s top 40 scorers.
The 28-year-old now surpasses the late Kobe Bryant’s masterpiece of 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006 to become the only NBA player behind the legendary Wilt Chamberlain for the most points scored in a single game.
After the game, Adebayo talked about the importance of passing Bryant, who he has admired since he was a child.
“For (Bryant) to die at 83, in my mind, it’s like, ‘What would he say to me? Because I’ve always wanted to have a conversation with him,'” Adebayo said. “He’ll probably say, ‘Try it again.’
“It’s just a surreal moment to be with someone you admired as a child.”
Here are some of the NBA’s biggest names reacting to the Miami big man’s incredible scoring feat.
“BAM BAM BAM,” LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, wrote in X.
“Brother, what?” Jalen Brunson said in disbelief.
Former Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade wrote, “Cap is 83.”
Asked about Adebayo’s accomplishments during Tuesday’s postgame press conference, Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant said:
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard it in real time. He scored 30 points in the first quarter… Bam, congratulations. I know how much effort he’s put in.”
“If you look at the stat sheet, it’s pretty crazy. 40 shots, 40 free throws, 20 threes takes a lot of stamina. It takes a lot of energy to not only go out and make shots, but also to set the record as second-highest scorer of all time, surpassing Kobe (Bryant),” Durant added.
