If Shaquille O’Neal was unusually quiet while history was being made on March 10, 2026, it was not because he was sad about his old teammate’s record getting broken. Shaq made a surprise trip to Canada to launch his new furniture line (because that was the only thing missing from his portfolio) while Bam Adebayo made a new unreachable record. O’Neal didn’t catch a single moment of it live. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t in his feelings.

On Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards, the Miami Heat center surpassed Kobe Bryant to make the second-highest single-game scoring record with 83 points. Speaking from The Brick in Edmonton, O’Neal offered a backhanded congratulations.

“Kudos to Bam. He had a great game…” Shaq said and nitpicked what everyone’s been saying. “I’m just wondering how somebody goes to the free throw line 46 times, but it’s there.”

While he’s excited to have a modern big man eclipse Kobe’s legendary 81-point mark, Bam’s achievement hit a competitive nerve. “I’m actually jealous and happy for him. Wish it was me,” O’Neal confessed during the interview.

And while some might think pure, unadulterated jealousy is a bad look, Shaq thrives in it. “I’m the guy that jealousy motivates me. So, you know, I kind of wish it was me getting all that praise like, you know, to be behind Wilt Chamberlain and score 80 points. That’s a great accomplishment.”

Adebayo’s 83-point performance on March 10, 2026, now stands as the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point masterpiece in 1962. Most are critical of how he joined this rare air which spurred an unusual defense from Shaq.

Shaquille O’Neal defended Bam Adebayo’s strategy

When Shaquille O’Neal turned 54 on March 6, it was also the 26th anniversary of his best career score. The Big Aristotle famously dropped 61 points and 20 rebounds on his 28th birthday in 2000, six years before Kobe Bryant made 81 points. That record drops a spot to #15 in the all-time list where Shaq is tied with Michael Jordan (1987), Karl Malone (1990), and Kobe Bryant (2009).

While Shaq also noted that the sheer volume of free throws in Bam Adebayo’s game stood out, he respects the hustle. He even defended Adebayo by calling the fourth-quarter decisions as a team strategy. “Basketball’s always been a game of strategy,” Shaq tells Bam’s critics.

Adebayo set two significant NBA records during the 150-129 win: 43 free throw attempts and 36 free throw makes, shattering the previous records held by Dwight Howard and Wilt Chamberlain, respectively. While Shaq took a supportive stance, others have slammed how Bam got to 83 points.

Despite the criticism, the history books remain unchanged. For O’Neal, the feat is a reminder of the dominance he once exerted, and perhaps a small regret that he never pushed for that 80-point ceiling during his own prime.