Bam Adebayo’s 83-point outburst ranks second in NBA history
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Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo erupted for 83 points Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards, eclipsing Kobe Bryant’s 81-point total from 2006 for the No. 2 spot on the league’s single-game scoring list. The performance, witnessed by a crowd that included Adebayo’s girlfriend A’ja Wilson, drew immediate praise from current and former stars such as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Despite the historic tally, Adebayo remained 17 points shy of the all-time record: Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 1962 matchup with the New York Knicks, a night that also featured 25 rebounds from the Hall of Famer.
Other landmark performances across U.S. pro sports
MLB
Shohei Ohtani, 2024: 6-for-6, three home runs, two stolen bases, 10 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Miami Marlins. The game helped Ohtani become the first player to record 50 homers and 50 steals in the same season.
Tom Cheney, 1962: 21 strikeouts over 16 innings and 228 pitches for the Washington Senators versus the Baltimore Orioles, allowing one earned run. The outing accounted for 6% of Cheney’s career strikeouts.
NBA
Wilt Chamberlain, 1962: 100 points and 25 rebounds in Hershey, Pennsylvania, leading the Warriors over the Knicks, 169-147.
WNBA
Liz Cambage, 2018: 53 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks for the Dallas Wings against the New York Liberty, matching the league’s single-game scoring mark later equaled by A’ja Wilson in 2023.
NFL
Norm Van Brocklin, 1951: 554 passing yards, five touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown for the Los Angeles Rams in the season opener.
Flipper Anderson, 1989: 336 receiving yards and one touchdown for the Rams in an overtime win against the New Orleans Saints.
Adrian Peterson, 2007: 296 rushing yards and three touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings versus the San Diego Chargers.
NHL
Darryl Sittler, 1976: Six goals and four assists for a 10-point night with the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Boston Bruins, still the league record for points in a game.
Adebayo’s 83-point showcase joins these memorable efforts as one of the most dominant single-game feats in American professional sports history.
Source: ESPN
