Bam Adebayo’s former AAU coach stunned by Heat star’s 83-point explosion
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Days after Bam Adebayo erupted for 83 points, Ty White — who coached the Miami Heat center on the Team Loaded AAU circuit — is still trying to grasp the magnitude of the performance.
“It’s hard to imagine anyone putting up that many points in an NBA game,” White said in a phone interview, noting that messages from friends flooded his phone while the game was in progress. “He’s always been a remarkable athlete, but 83 is another level.”
Adebayo’s career night powered Miami to a 150-129 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. The 6-foot-9 All-Star added nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks, hit 7 of 22 attempts from beyond the arc and set single-game league records for free throws made (36) and attempted (43). His previous NBA high was 41 points.
The outburst is the second-highest scoring game in league history, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point effort in 1962.
Early flashes of dominance
White recalled that, during Adebayo’s high-school summers with Team Loaded, the big man routinely delivered highlight plays but filled a different role. “Back then he was mostly a lob target and a finisher around the rim,” White explained. “Now he’s initiating offense and can score from everywhere. The growth is unbelievable.”
With Team Loaded, Adebayo averaged 25 points and 15 rebounds, topping out at 30 points in a single game. Watching him more than double that number in the NBA left his old coach both amazed and proud. “No matter what people say, he’s now second only to Wilt,” White said. “Nobody can take that away from him.”
Source: ESPN
