History was made last week when Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo overtook Kobe Bryant for second all-time in single-game scoring with his 83-point outburst against the Washington Wizards. The game placed him just under Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 and above Bryant’s 81.
The controversial actions of his Miami Heat teammates and head coach Erik Spoelstra in the final minutes contributed to Adebayo’s total, particularly at the free-throw line, ultimately allowing him to surpass Bryant’s revered record. The circumstances have sparked debate among fans and league observers about the legitimacy of the achievement.
Former NBA player Patrick Beverley defended Adebayo, insisting the record was “as real as it gets.”
Why Patrick Beverley Defends Bam Adebayo’s 83-Point Game as ‘Real as It Gets’
On his new podcast, “Pat Bev Show,” Beverley criticized those questioning the legitimacy of Adebayo’s performance, emphasizing the difficulty of the feat and noting that if it were not genuine, other players would have accomplished it.
“83 is as real as it gets,” he said. “You can’t wake up and just get 83. If it was fake, every motherf**ker would be getting those fake numbers. So, no, you gotta give Bam a lot of credit, man. He did that.”
Pat Bev says if Bam’s 83-point game was fake, everyone would’ve done it by now
“83 is just as real as it gets… you can’t wake up and just get 83. If it was fake, every motherf***** would be getting those fake numbers… He’s lucky Trae Young wasn’t playing—he’d f*** around and… pic.twitter.com/zMI5tiA07P
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 18, 2026
Spoelstra also defended Adebayo’s performance, dismissing criticism of the record. “I apologize to absolutely no one. Period,” he said.
Beverley praised Spoelstra’s stance. “I like how Coach Spo spoke up for him, too. Like, y’all are trippin, man. Y’all are missing the point. That 83 is as real as it gets. Straight up.” He added jokingly that if Trae Young had played in the same game, Chamberlain’s 100-point record might have been challenged.
Bryant’s 81-point game stood for 20 years until Adebayo surpassed it. Several players have come close in recent seasons: Luka Dončić scored 73 two years ago with greater efficiency, while Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, Devin Booker, and Joel Embiid have all surpassed 70 points in a game.
The trend reflects the evolution of the sport, with scoring totals rising significantly compared to past eras. Yet no one had broken Bryant’s mark until Adebayo, underscoring the magnitude of the accomplishment and Beverley’s defense of it.
Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka, however, was less impressed, noting the circumstances of the performance. “First thing you think is how? I saw he only made 6 3s (7-22) and 40 free throws. (36-43) tells the story right there. And the Washington Wizards.”
The debate over the record’s legitimacy will continue, with some emphasizing the difficulty of achieving such a total and others questioning the manner in which it was reached. But for Beverley, it was “as real as it gets.”
