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). 

“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 statline 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 Free throw attempt and made a record in the process. And not without reason, he was getting double-, triple- and what once appeared to be a quadruple-team from a Wizards defense that kept sending him to the foul line. It was his day, but Adebayo also took time to credit Wilson as one of the drivers 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 In 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 freethrows 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? 

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.