Bam Adebayo saw the Washington Wizards one fine Tuesday night and decided to channel his inner Kobe Bryant. The Miami Heat Center sent the entire basketball world into a frenzy after dropping 83 points in the 150-129 win over the Wizards. Adebayo was everywhere during the game and was found in the arms of his girlfriend, A’ja Wilson, after scripting history. Wilson was on the sidelines, watching Adebayo play the game of his life. Once it was all said and done, she had the perfect words regarding Adebayo’s fortunes. 

Adebayo passed ​Kobe Bryant (81 points in 2006) for second place on the single-game scoring list. Wilt Chamberlain’s infamous 100-point game still stands as ‌the record since 1962. “Welp, won’t have the highest career high in the house anymore, but at least it gives me something to go after,” Wilson wrote on twitter. A’ja Wilson herself holds the record for most points in a WNBA game with her 53 points against Atlanta in 2023 (tied with Liz Cambage). 

While Bam’s record-breaking night grabbed headlines, many fans, particularly Kobe Bryant supporters, weren’t impressed with how it unfolded. Several took issue with the officiating, arguing that the constant whistles played too big a role in shaping the performance.

“Those referees that allowed Bum Adegayo to shoot 16 free throws in the 4th quarter need to be fired. Can’t believe those low iq refs did this to Kobe💔,” one fan said while another joined into reiterate the same saying,”Bam aint score 83 🤦🏽‍♂️ take away the free throws and the stat padding. Kobe woulda put up 100 with that ref whistle vs g league wizards 🖕🏽.”

Such comments were common across social media platforms, and what was supposed to be a celebratory night quickly turned into one where the Miami star found himself facing plenty of heat. However, A’ja Wilson had the perfect response for the haters.

“God is really just really special for him and God doesn’t play about Bam,” Wilson said in the post-match press conference. Adebayo’s stat line is something very unique, even beyond the points. He went 20 of 43 from the field, 36 of 43 from the foul line, and 7 of 22 from 3-point range. 

Adebayo also broke the record for free-throw attempts. And not without reason. The Wizards repeatedly threw double- and triple-teams at him, and at one point it even looked like a quadruple-team, forcing the defense to keep sending him to the foul line. It was clearly his day, but even in the midst of the performance, Adebayo made sure to credit A’ja Wilson as one of the key motivations behind his effort.

“She’s been gone for about a week. She was joking about how I got my 10,000th point and saying she wanted me to wait until she was there. So having her here for my 83rd is very special,” Adebayo said. “The behind-the-scenes work, the workouts, and the conversations are very motivating. Obviously, you see what she does and get inspired by it every day. I’m thankful to have her in my life.”

A’ja Wilson and Bam Adebayo have always turned up for the important moments of each other’s careers. When Wilson won the MVP last year, it was Adebayo who handed her the trophy. They have openly shared learning from each other during their workouts and propelled each other to new heights. Bam also took a page out of Wilson’s book during the game after he met with an exclusive problem. 

Bam Adebayo Dips Into A’ja Wilson’s Formula During His 83-Point Game

By the fourth quarter, it was clear both teams were fighting over one thing: Bam Adebayo’s scoring record. Heat was actively trying to get Bam the ball and get his numbers up while the Wizards were giving him extra attention. Defenders swarmed around Adebayo and Bam continued getting and-ones. After the game, he joked about seeing the same situation happening with Wilson. 

“Turning around and you got four people guarding you. I’ve seen that before,” Adebayo said while not so subtly pointing towards Wilson sitting beside him, who laughed heartily. “Obviously when they just don’t want you to get the ball…I don’t even know how to put this night into words, man. Like I’m still feeling lightheaded. I don’t even know, like, how to really respond for real.”

Wilson is famous for leading the WNBA in free throws because of the sheer attention she gets. Not without reason, she is a 4-time MVP who can score from anywhere. Her playstyle forces teams to defend her with multiple players. Remember Game 3 of the WNBA finals against the Phoenix Mercury? 

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With the game tied, Wilson took a dribble left and spun right while being guarded by DeWanna Bonner. Alyssa Thomas, an All-Defensive team member, joined in for a double team. But Wilson did not care. She fired the winner from mid-range with 0.3 seconds left, taking the Aces closer to the title, which they eventually won in Game 4.