Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo scored 83 points on Tuesday, March 10 in a game against the Washington Wizards. He launched himself ahead of Kobe Bryant into second place in the annals of single-game scoring history and simultaneously commenced high-minded discussions about basketball behavior. A glorious night for the unlikely scorer quickly became a sign of disrespect to the game for uptight critics, as the morals behind Adebayo’s performance were dissected. Despite the noise, Adebayo’s game earned his spot on a list with legendary companions. The single-game scoring leaderboard now reads: Wilt Chamberlain (100 points), Bam Adebayo (83), Kobe Bryant (81).
Over nine seasons, the three-time All-Star has become one of the most reliable big men in the league for the Miami Heat, averaging 16 points and nine rebounds over his productive career. A five-time All-Defensive selection, Adebayo’s interior presence has anchored a franchise that has made the playoffs for six seasons straight, including two NBA Finals appearances. Adebayo is loved in Miami, but he is not known as a high-volume scorer. Adebayo’s ultimate outlier of a performance on Tuesday has some basketball purists shaking their heads in disbelief.
In the NBA, there is an emphasis on “unwritten rules” when the game is out of reach, such as a winning team wasting their final possession of the game out of respect. On a night-by-night basis, the respect for these guidelines is important for maintaining the camaraderie around the league, but Tuesday the rules were rightfully bent by the Heat’s coaching staff. Late in the fourth quarter of a certain victory, the Heat were fouling the opposing Wizards to put the ball back in Bam’s hands with as much time as possible.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra immediately recognized the rule-breaking, stating postgame, “I’m apologizing to nobody about this. I feel just so awesome for Bam, because he is about all the right things.” Spoelstra should not have to apologize for implementing a strategy to help his player achieve success on a monumental night. A coach’s job to support his players takes on a variety of forms throughout the season. When a player is so close to a remarkable achievement such as Adebayo’s, adherence to the moral rules behind the game should take a back seat to history.
Others drew attention to the amount of times Adebayo used free throw shots to boost his total. Adebayo made 36 of 43 attempts from the line, breaking NBA records in foul shots both made and attempted. Adebayo breached Bryant’s 81-point mark when he drove hard into a double-team in the lane and received contact on a missed field goal attempt, converting both shots from the foul stripe to stand alone in second place on the leaderboard.
If a player earns a victory for his team by making clutch free throws, he is adequately praised for his composure and his diligent preparation for those opportunities. Adebayo should receive similar praise for making his attempts with the entire basketball world watching. Lost in the criticism is that Adebayo scored 31 points in the first quarter with just six points from free throws. Excessive foul calls can remove some excitement for spectators, but when Adebayo sank his two free throws to earn the historic total, the Heat crowd was ecstatic. If it takes 43 free throws for a player to create an indelible memory for the fans at a Tuesday night game, so be it.
Adebayo’s performance turned a completely normal weekday sports night into one of the most memorable moments for basketball fans in recent years. Rarely does a great scorer reach 60 points, and there have only been 16 performances of 70 points or more. Over time, the moral dilemma will die with the news cycle, but the record books are etched forever.
