Bam Adebayo’s 83-point night against the Washington Wizards on March 10 didn’t just rewrite the NBA record books; it apparently settled a debate in the Knicks locker room, too. With A’ja Wilson having been courtside to watch her boyfriend make history, the question of who holds the title of best basketball player in that household came up on the Roommates Show podcast. Josh Hart had a clear answer.
Josh Hart & Jalen Brunson Leave No Room for Debate in Bam Adebayo – A’ja Wilson Pecking Order
The question was simple enough: between Adebayo and Wilson, who is the better basketball player? Hart didn’t hesitate. “He is… He is baking her,” Hart said of Adebayo. “Obviously, in one-on-one, he’s baking her… At the end of the day, that’s all that matters. He’s the best one. We didn’t say if he is the best in his respective sport. We didn’t say that. Is he the best one? Yes. He’s frying her.”
It is worth noting the distinction Hart was careful to draw. The question was never about who is the better player in their respective sport; Wilson is a four-time WNBA MVP and one of the greatest players in the history of women’s basketball. But in a straight head-to-head? Hart’s verdict was unambiguous.
Jalen Brunson offered a different angle on the debate, suggesting that Wilson could have been the one to drop 83 points in the couple. Hart, meanwhile, was hellbent that it was always going to be Adebayo.
The conversation makes a little more sense with the full picture of what happened that night. Adebayo erupted for 83 points in a 150-129 blowout win over the Washington Wizards, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game from 2006 to become the second-highest single-game scorer in NBA history behind only Wilt Chamberlain. It was also the first game of Adebayo’s that Wilson had ever attended, and he made sure she knew exactly what she witnessed.
After the game, he signed a copy of his stat sheet for her, writing: “83 is better than 53,” a playful dig at Wilson’s own career high of 53 points, which tied the WNBA single-game record set by Liz Cambage.
Wilson reshared the moment on her Instagram account and opened up in a postgame media session alongside Adebayo about why she had actually moved from her courtside seat mid-game.
“I didn’t want to mess up any mojo because we are two of the most routine people ever,” she said. “I don’t think he has a clue how much he inspires me to be the person that I am. But to show up for him, that’s my biggest goal, is always just to be present and show up for him.”
Adebayo was equally warm about Wilson’s presence on what turned out to be one of the most remarkable nights of his career. “To have 83 in the first game she’s here is very special,” he said.
“The behind the scenes, the workouts and conversations, they’re very motivating. And obviously, you see what she does, and you get inspired every day by that. So I’m thankful to have her in my life.”
As for Hart’s verdict, Adebayo might be frying Wilson in a one-on-one, but with an 83-point game on his résumé and a four-time WNBA MVP in his corner, it is hard to argue that either of them is losing in any meaningful sense.
