Every Miami Heat fan was on cloud nine watching Bam Adebayo. The team turned the game against the Washington Wizards into an agenda. Adebayo achieved history, finishing the game with 83 points. But as it was happening, Kobe Bryant fans grew infuriated with the method behind the record. Former Laker Nick Young couldn’t control his emotions when discussing the milestone.

“Hey, man. F–k Bam man and the Wizards. F–k all that s–t. All that records supposed to be broken? Hell no,” Young said on Gil’s Arena.

Young spent a few years playing beside Kobe Bryant in the Purple and Gold. They developed a close relationship as teammates. But Swaggy P isn’t angry that Bam Adebayo broke the Black Mamba’s record. He was incensed because the Heat employed time-saving tactics to ensure Adebayo broke Bryant’s mark set in 2006.

“You see how he was going for that at 74? That was nasty. Get out the game, you’re winning by 30… If I had 81, I would have stopped. I’m not trying to get fouled with one minute left. One minute left, up 30. They are triple-teaming him, and he still gets the ball,” Nick Young added.

He wasn’t the only person to criticise Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game. Several NBA players only gave backhanded compliments. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka didn’t appear impressed either, since it was the Wizards. But here’s the thing. The Heat didn’t try to hide what they were doing. Adebayo had earned that treatment after an electric first-half performance.

That’s when the Heat center knew he could do something special. With his mother and girlfriend in the arena, this was the perfect moment. Bam Adebayo would have a core memory to share with his loved ones. Young’s rage isn’t misplaced either. Many Kobe Bryant fans felt his anger.

The four-time champion’s historic performance in 2006 came organically. The Lakers were trailing until the Black Mamba turned up.

Bam Adebayo just proud of being besides Kobe Bryant

The record books will remember a simple fact. Bam Adebayo scored the second-most points in an NBA game. However, the Heat center didn’t relish passing Kobe Bryant. Adebayo grew up admiring the Lakers’ great. Adebayo is just proud of being mentioned beside him.

“To me, it’s wondering what he would say. Seeing somebody, obviously you’ve seen 60, 70, but like to be 83 and you pass him, in my mind, it’s like, ‘What would he say to me? Because I’ve always wanted to have a conversation with him, but he’ll probably say ‘Go do it again’, but just a surreal moment, being in the company with somebody you idolized growing up,” said Bam Adebayo.

The whole NBA community knows just as Adebayo does: these chances don’t just keep coming. The Heat and Adebayo made the call to push for the feat. Some may look at it as unethical. But they aren’t considering the sacrifices Bam Adebayo has made during his Heat tenure. He hasn’t had such a chance in the past where he could score freely.

“Like I said, man, came into this league as a defender and a lob threat and I really got emotional…  I wish I could relive it twice. So this is a special moment. It’s Wilt [Chamberlain], me and Kobe [Bryant], which sounds crazy,” the Heat star admitted.

Nick Young isn’t alone in disliking Adebayo’s record-setting performance. However, you have to appreciate the effort that went into it. Adebayo battled through triple-teams and, until 74 points, was still shooting 50% from the field. It did become all about surpassing the milestone. But the Heat and their players felt that if anybody deserved to do it, that was Bam Adebayo.