Bam Adebayo lit up the court on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, dropping an unbelievable 83 points as the Miami Heat rolled past the Washington Wizards, 150-129. The Kaseya Centre crowd got to see history in real time. Adebayo didn’t just break his own limits; he outscored Kobe Bryant’s famous 81-point game from 2006. Now, only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point night sits above him on the NBA’s all-time list. With this game, Adebayo didn’t just break records; he locked in his place as a legend for both the Heat and the entire league.
83 POINTS FOR BAM ADEBAYO.
THE SECOND-MOST EVER.
Wilt: 100
Bam: 83
Kobe: 81 pic.twitter.com/5AxI6j8m35— NBA (@NBA) March 11, 2026
Miami Heat Star Bam Adebayo Shatters Kobe Bryant’s Long Standing NBA Record
Adebayo’s incredible performance started with an explosive 31-point first quarter, which is the record for the highest single-period scoring in Heat history. At halftime, the 28-year-old had already tallied 43 points, beating his prior career high of 41. Even though the Wizards were constantly double-teaming and triple-teaming him, Adebayo did not hold back and scored 19 in the third and 21 in the fourth. He actually surpassed Kobe Bryant with 1:16 left in the game, making two free throws that increased his total to 83.
83! pic.twitter.com/qn8x8xsuxM
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 11, 2026
After the buzzer, Adebayo grabbed a piece of paper, scribbled “83” on it, and held it up as Wilt Chamberlain did with his famous photo. It was his way of tipping his hat to the only guy who’s ever put up more points in one NBA game.
Bam Adebayo Sets New NBA Free Throw Benchmarks In Clinical Display
While scoring 83 points will inevitably be the main highlight of the story, it was the free-throw efficiency that truly propelled Adebayo. He broke the NBA single-game records in both made free throws (36) and free throws attempted (43). His 43 attempts surpassed the record of 39, which was previously held by Dwight Howard, and his 36 makes obliterated the record that has stood for a very long time at 28, a mark shared by Wilt Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley.
The Wizards’ “Hack-a-Bam” strategy during the final minutes didn’t work as Adebayo converted each and every chance given to him to make a step towards history. Along with his points, he also had 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in 42 minutes.
