Los Angeles Lakers fans are known for not staying quiet, especially when it comes to the legacy of the late Hall of Fame Kobe Bryant. On Tuesday night, after Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo erupted for 83 points against the Washington Wizards, the Purple and Gold community made their stance crystal clear: history might show a higher number, but it doesn’t always show the whole story.
The entire Crypto.com Arena erupted into boos when it was announced that Bam Adebayo had surpassed Bryant’s record.
Lakers Nation Boos Bam Adebayo’s Milestone
In an outstanding display of dominance, Bam Adebayo broke the Wizards’ defense layer by layer and dropped his career’s biggest score: 83 points. With this performance, Adebayo not only extended the Heat’s winning streak to 6 games, but also registered his name in the NBA’s record book as the 2nd highest scorer, surpassing the late Kobe Bryant.
Lakers fans booing their announcer after he mentioned Bam Adebayo broke Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game record 💀
(via @JHWill, h/t @TheNBABase)pic.twitter.com/vnJMVf9iXB
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 11, 2026
Bryant dropped his career-high of 81 points in the Lakers’ 122-104 win over the Raptors back in 2006. After more than two decades, that record was finally broken by the Heat’s star center. But the Lakers nation wasn’t thrilled.
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When the news of Adebayo’s historic scoring reached Crypto.com Arena during the Lakers’ 120–106 win over the Timberwolves, the arena was instantly filled with loud boos. Seems like for Lakers fans, Bryant’s 81 remains the gold standard of scoring.
But social media platforms were equally reactive, with fans highlighting and debating the difference between how Bryant and Bam Adebayo earned their points. On one hand, Kobe went on a scoring spree with 55 points in the second half. He finished the match shooting 28-of-46 (60.9%) from the floor and 7-of-13 from deep while only converting 18 of the 20 free throws.
Adebayo, in contrast, reached 83 points by heavily relying on free throws, making 36 of 43 attempts. He grabbed 9 rebounds and 3 assists while shooting 20-of-43 from the field and 7-of-22 from the arc.
Houston Rockets’ head coach Ime Udoka on Bam’s record commented, “First thing you think is how, not because of him, but because of the way he plays. I saw he only made six 3s, but 40 free throws or something like that, tells the story right there.”
“And the Washington Wizards,” added Udoka after a pause. “He was OK. How many times has that happened? Second most after Wilt. Pretty impressive,” said Golden State Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr.
“That was my idol growing up. I watched how he approached the game … with that laser focus. I wonder what he would say to me at this point. He’d probably tell me to do it again,” Adebayo told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt.
Despite the backlash in L.A., Adebayo has officially changed the ranks and has listed himself as the second-highest single-game total ever, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100.
