Every once in a while, a momentous event transpires that turns the NBA on its head. Bam Adebayo’s 83-point scoring outburst has done exactly that. Nobody saw it coming… Who would have imagined Bam leapfrogging Kobe Bryant and trailing only Wilt Chamberlain for the most single-game points in NBA history?
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Tuesday night’s game was unlike anything basketball fans have seen before. The fact that Bam did it with both his mom and his longtime girlfriend (and coincidentally enough, WNBA single-game scoring record holder) A’ja Wilson in attendance made it even more special.
Bam’s performance wasn’t just a landmark moment in NBA history; it’s going to go in the books as one of the surreal and special moments the Miami Heat have ever had. So, it is only fitting that we hear Dwyane Wade’s opinion on it, seeing as he is the greatest player in Heat history.
“So I’m watching the game,” Wade said, “and you’re on different text chains. Then the Miami Heat social media account reached out to me and was like, ‘Do you got anything to say about Cap?’ And my only response back to them was like, ‘Let me see how he finishes this game.'”
Wade recalled that at that point in the game, Bam had just broken LeBron James’ Heat record of 61 points. And it wasn’t even the fourth quarter yet. Fighting through triple teams and the Wizards doing everything possible to stop him from getting more, he scored 21 more in the fourth to overtake Kobe and get to 83.
“Bro, I just watched the fourth quarter, and I was just sitting back, and I was looking at Bam, and I was just like, ‘Who is this dude?!'” Wade said.
“Bro, I’m telling you, I’ve never seen Bam on the attack like this. He has so many responsibilities on the basketball floor for the Heat,” he continued, praising the 28-year-old forward who was drafted by the Heat in the first round in 2017. Wade then spoke about Adebayo’s evolution as a player.
“He came into the league as a defender, as a pick-and-roll guy to the basket, then he kinda developed into a guy that the Heat would start running their offense through, and so his job was to get everybody involved… And so, I’ve watched the evolution of Bam’s progression of his game, and it’s been beautiful to watch a guy’s progression that didn’t come in with a label of a scorer or an offensive player,” the former NBA champion added.
Wade touched upon one of the big reasons that Bam’s outburst was so shocking. He’s a three-time All-Star, but the strength of his game has always been defense. A career 16.1 points-per-game scorer, he would have been far down any NBA fan’s list of guys who could put up 83.
Bam has been a Heat fan-favorite throughout his career, which is part of why Wade was so happy to see him make history. He also had an impoverished upbringing. He keeps a picture of the trailer he grew up in taped to his locker as motivation. Wade had overcome similar hurdles himself.
“I’m watching this, and I’m thinking about the photos that he posted of the trailer that he grew up in on 76 Church Lane. And I’m sitting back, and they’re panning to his mom, and I’m just thinking about I know this, ’cause I’m a part of a story like this where they pan to my mom and we come from nothing,” said Wade.
“And this is before he gets to the 83 and the end of the game, this is just the third quarter at this time, and I’m watching, and I’m just like, ‘Look at this guy. Look at Bam. Look at him go get it,'” he added, beaming with pride.
It is indeed time to celebrate Adebayo’s glorious outing. However, just a couple of days later, some of the discourse had turned critical too. Most NBA fans seem to be celebrating his achievement. However, some have criticized the “unethical“ means Bam and the Miami Heat used to get there.
Some people just love to rain on everyone’s parade. But hearing Wade put Bam’s game into context is one of those things that makes us remember why we love sports in the first place.
This is a guy who has spent his whole career in one place. Adebayo has always been a team-first guy as he bettered himself on the court to make a childhood dream come true. If that can’t be celebrated, then what are we doing?
