The Washington Wizards have ranked 28th in defense in the last two NBA seasons. And this year, they are 29th. So, for a team that gives up 117.8 points per 100 possessions, scoring against them seems easy, right? Well, at least that’s what Bam Adebayo made it look like on Tuesday when he scored the historic 83 points. Everyone has been busy talking about records, and some are even discussing embarrassments. However, the 28-year-old Miami Heat big man talked about the elephant in the room.

“Everyone wants to be mad at me, but be mad at their coach for not doubling me when I had 30 in a quarter,” Bam said on The Dan Patrick Show. Meanwhile, the host challenged the criticism of Bam’s performance, pointing out that he scored 64 points in three quarters without complaints. He asked why people focus only on the final minutes instead of evaluating the entire game fairly.

“Their coach started fouling my teammates, so I couldn’t shoot free throws. So it wasn’t like it was just like all the Miami Heat are just in (expletive) the game away. That’s not what it was,” Bam Adebayo slammed the Wizards HC Brian Keefe. “It was also them being like, in order for Bam not to get this record, we’re just gonna file his other teammates when they touch the ball. That’s unethical basketball to me is like whatever y’all want to call it.”

Now, Tuesday night was chaotic and controversial for a few reasons. Miami built a 25-point lead late in the fourth quarter with Bam already at 77. Coach Erik Spoelstra challenged an offensive foul call on Adebayo to keep him in the action. But the challenge failed while the bench celebrated anyway. In the final stretch, Adebayo attempted 43 shots, including 22 threes, and made 36-43 FT attempts, setting NBA records. He faced double to quadruple teams, while the Heat fouled Wizards players four times to extend possessions.

Meanwhile, the Wizards intentionally fouled other Heat players like Keshad Johnson to prevent Adebayo from getting free throws while fouling him directly 26 times, setting an NBA record. The game drew comparisons to Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant’s high-scoring nights as critics argued Miami manipulated the outcome. The Heat kept Adebayo involved despite injuries and chaos, creating a spectacle that was both record-breaking and controversial, leaving everyone thrilled and debating the ethics of the final minutes.

At the same time, the back-and-forth between the Washington Wizards’ head coach, Brian Keefe, and Bam Adebayo continued on Thursday. Looks like Keefe’s “not real basketball” opinion didn’t sit well with the Miami Heat superstar.

Bam Adebayo continues slamming Brian Keefe

To be, Bam’s 83-point night came as a surprise for everyone associated with the NBA– players, legends, experts, and fans alike. However, the shock was even more intense for the Wizards, of course. Therefore, during the post-game press conference after the 129-150 loss against Miami, Brian Keefe couldn’t hold back his sentiments.

The Wizards’ head coach criticized the Heat and Erik Spoelstra for chasing history instead of honoring the spirit of the game. “They kept him in the game, and there were a lot of foul calls — 16 free throws in the fourth quarter,” Keefe said. “[We were] just trying to take the ball out of his hands.” He added, “The fourth quarter just turned into not a real basketball game.”

Now, after winning Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Bam addressed Coach Keefe’s comments. He told the media, “First of all, y’all are blaming me; you should be blaming their head coach. Get that first. I was not the one letting me go one-on-one the whole game until I had 70, and then you started to send a double.”

He added, “At that point, I got 70 with, like, what, nine minutes left to go in the game? You think I’m not going for it? And that’s the thing that’s crazy when they talk about the ‘unethical’ part of the basketball.” Bam Adebayo didn’t hold back.

He continued, “I’m like, if I have 70 with nine minutes to go, who would just be like, ‘You know, Coach, just take me out.’ Yeah, right. Anybody in my shoes with nine minutes left? OK, a minute, alright. Nine? Yeah, I’m going for it. You can’t be mad at that. If you are mad, I don’t care.”

But at the end of the day, Bam Adebayo owned the night and the narrative. Critics grumbled, coaches schemed, and chaos reigned, yet he played every second as if it mattered. Washington tried to stop it. However, Bam shrugged off criticism, smiled, and went full beast mode. By the final buzzer, it was clear: he wasn’t just scoring points, he was rewriting what greatness looks like.