The Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo scored 83 against the Washington Wizards, surpassing Kobe Bryant's epic 81-point game by two points. The Heat controlled the game from beginning to end and won their sixth consecutive victory.
However, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, it may have been better for Adebayo not to chase Bryant's 81-point total. NBA insiders believe Bryant's untimely death has overshadowed his most cherished accomplishments as a Lakers superstar.
"Based on human nature, his death puts more weight on each of his best-loved adventures and creates a feeling that they should be handled with a certain kind of care. And judging by the reaction of some of the people from Bryant's past with whom I was in touch after Adebayo's exit, this feeling was not unique," Amick said.
He claimed that Adebayo's record-breaking night was also the result of 'stat-chasing' and that the potential decision to step down would have been seen as a noble decision. Of course, his teammates also ended up committing fouls to help him score points.
"What will be less noted is how the Heat helped Adebayo with his total, drawing intentional fouls in those final minutes to put the game away and ultimately giving him two final free throws with 1:16 remaining before he left."
Adebayo finished with 20-42 from the field and 7-22 from beyond the arc. They converted 36-43 of their free throws and relied on fouls to keep points.
Amick concluded, "Still, Adebayo's performance was very different from Bryant's, and you didn't have to watch his entire inning to see that much."
Of course, fans could argue the opposite, and claim the fact that Adebayo passed Bryant was not a case of lack of respect. Given the modern NBA's consistently huge point totals, Kobe's record was always in danger.
