標籤: haters

Miami Heat president Pat Riley is furious with NBA fans and analysts who have tried to dismiss Bam Adebayo’s historic 83-point game this week.

Earlier this week, Adebayo not only had the greatest single-game performance in Heat history, but one of the best scoring performances in NBA history. On March 10, the Miami big man hit seven three-pointers and an absurd 36 free throws en route to scoring 83 points in a win over the Washington Wizards.

While Adebayo’s performance did not earn the record for most points in a single NBA game – which is still held by Wilt Chamberlain and his 100-point game in 1962 – he passed Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant for the No. 2 spot on the all-time list. And this upset many fans and pundits of the game.

Hours after his performance of a lifetime, Adebayo received lots of love from around the world. However, there was a large section of NBA fans and experts who were not fans of his record-breaking night. The biggest point of contention was the number of free throws he shot – Bryant had 20 free throw attempts in his 81-point game – and how the Heat helped him reach 83 by drawing fouls late in the game to Adebayo to get more scoring opportunities.

Pat Riley hits back at Bam Adebayo haters

Well, one person who thinks the hate Adebayo is getting is a bunch of bullshit is Heat President Pat Riley. And the great coach and executive lashed out at the haters on Saturday.

“It’s all bulls***,” Riley told the Miami Herald. “It really is. Anybody who was negative on it, anybody who was cynical about it, anybody who talked about it the way they talked negatively about it, they’re either trying to get views, hits, or they’re podcasters, and that’s their job.

He said, “There are critics today who are very unfair in what was going on with the strategy, and we were fouled, and they were fouled. Same thing happened with Wilt Chamberlain when he scored 100 in the day.” “But I don’t buy any of that. He gave an iconic, absolutely incredible performance, and they tried to dismiss it. And that’s not fair.”

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

MIAMI – As Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo made NBA history by scoring 83 points in the team’s 150-128 win over the Washington Wizards, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s 81 for the second-highest scoring game ever, the conversation is polarizing. With the NBA world reacting to the Heat captain’s 83-point night, with some saying there should be an asterisk next to the game and others questioning the ethics, came head coach Erik Spoelstra’s response.

There was no denying a special night for Adebayo, who etched his name in the annals of NBA history by scoring 83 points, capping a dominant performance by Washington that few had seen before. However, people have pointed to the 43 free-throw attempts, the team intentionally committing fouls to gain more possession, and other examples of a lackluster night.

If there’s one word that’s been floating around on social media about comparing Adebayo’s game to Bryant’s game in 2006, it’s that some people say one word is more “ethical” than the other. For Spoelstra, those who have raised their voices on the matter did not take into account history and said that this in itself is “immoral”.

“I think most of the people who probably made comments didn’t watch the game, it’s irresponsible or unethical,” Spoelstra told ClutchPoints. “You don’t even understand the context of the game, like it was a 13-point game. I remember going back into the huddle after the timeout, and [Assistant coach Chris Quinn] Said, “‘Hey, we’ve got to win this game, like we’re chasing something, and that’s great, but we’ve got to win this game.'”

“It was a 13-point game with nine more turnovers, and then bang, we hit three threes in a row… and then his total kept going up. Everything, I would say, was pretty traditional, if you want to say that, until it was the last two minutes, and then we have the autonomy to do whatever we want in those two minutes, whether people think it’s pure or moral or not. Bam and what a great moment it is for this franchise and the city.”

Erik Spoelstra was asked about critics questioning the “ethics” of Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game.

“I don’t care…I would do it again 10 times out of 10…I think most people who probably made comments didn’t see that it was irresponsible or unethical…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/6iBMAi1P0A

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 12 March 2026

Heat’s Erik Spoelstra: ‘I’m not apologizing to anyone’

Opinions coming from Tuesday night were all over the place, with one reporter, Sam Amick of The Athletic, even saying that the Heat center in Adebayo should have taken out the game before breaking Bryant’s mark to honor his legacy. As negotiations continue in the near future, Spoelstra has doubled down on his actions to help Adebayo achieve association history.

“I don’t care, I’m not losing sleep over what other people are saying about it,” Spoelstra said. “What’s ethical? What’s not? Is it ethical to foul a three-point shooter? Is that ethical or not? Is it ethical to foul a bad free-throw shooter and get an extra possession, you know or not? Like all these things happened in under two minutes, he had already broken a lot of records, and we’re going to go for it. It was an amazing moment to be a part of that.”

“And I would do it again 10 times out of 10 for Bam, I’m not apologizing to anybody about that,” Spoelstra added. “I feel great for Bam, because he’s about all the right things, you know. And already in our walkthrough, he’s talking about defense, and we’ve got to prepare our defense to rock tonight. But as a leader, the other night, you know, to set the tone for that game, they can be tough games. I thought it was the leadership personality, and then it went on steroids from there, and it just went off the hill. Became a snowball rolling down.”

With people questioning efficiency, this may have been more evidence that some people weren’t following the game, as Adebayo scored 31 points in the first quarter, 43 in the first half, shooting 54 percent from the field (13/24), 45 percent from deep (5/11).

Over the course of three quarters, he scored 62 points (17/35) on 49 percent shooting from the field, with the final frame being the highlight of those free throws, although Washington’s defense was poor and unable to stop Adebayo. At any rate, no one can take away from Adebayo that he has solidified himself among the greats as he looks to lead Miami into Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks and beyond.

Regardless of how you feel about Bam Adebayo’s performance against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night, he still recorded 83 points, the second-highest scoring game by a player in NBA history. It was an incredible moment and accomplishment for Adebayo and the Miami Heat, which is why many, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, will be paying tribute to the Heat star.

Because he was also playing well on Tuesday night, Giannis wasn’t really able to see live what was happening in South Beach on Tuesday night, when Adebayo passed Kobe Bryant’s 81-point mark and fell behind only Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time single-game scoring list. However, Antetokounmpo wants everyone to stop and appreciate what really happened.

More importantly, Giannis doesn’t want the stigma against Adebayo to continue.

“Unbelievable. Incredible. Says a lot about his hard work. I haven’t watched the game. I have to watch the game and see,” Antetokounmpo said of Adebayo’s 83-point game after the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Phoenix Suns 129-114. “It doesn’t matter how you got it. It just means that you got it.”

“In 10, 20, 30 years from now, no one is going to remember how many free throws he shot. I don’t think I remember how many shots Kobe made, or how many free throws he made, or three. You just remember 81, 100. You don’t remember that, you know?”

“It doesn’t matter how you got there… 30 years from now, no one will remember how many free throws he shot… At the end of the day, he got 83 points.”

Giannis at Bam Adebayo’s big night last night.

(via @box)pic.twitter.com/Vjku27KiUl

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 11 March 2026

Unlike some players who used their platform to criticize Adebayo’s performance due to his free throws and hunting shots at the end of the game, Giannis Baum can’t respect what he did enough.

Although they may play on different teams and compete against each other in the Eastern Conference, what many people don’t know is that Antetokounmpo and Adebayo have a close relationship with each other. These two NBA All-Stars share the same agent, and they have great respect for each other.

That’s why Giannis Adebayo couldn’t be happier and he won’t tolerate any infamy coming his way.

Antetokounmpo added, “I know his family, his close friends, are extremely excited and happy for him.” “And again, it speaks volumes about his hard work. I know Bam. He works hard every day. He never cheats the game. And to see a guy like him do something like that is incredible.”

Interestingly enough, Adebayo and Antetokounmpo will be playing against each other on Thursday, which will be Bam’s first game after creating history with his 83-point performance.

While Giannis will be celebrating Adebayo’s accomplishment and congratulating him on the accomplishment, the Bucks star sent a humorous message to his friend in Miami ahead of this matchup.

“He’s going to score 82,” Giannis said with a smile. “So, we try our best for him to score 82, not 83.”

Bam Adebayo may not be far behind when it comes to scoring, but there’s a reason he’s a superstar in the world’s best basketball league. The Miami Heat star stunned the world after scoring 83 points, becoming the owner of the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, leading the team to a 150-129 win over the hapless Washington Wizards.

Although the Wizards did not represent the toughest opponents, especially as they were looking to lose games late in the season to earn better lottery odds, this accomplishment should not be underestimated. After all, only three players in NBA history have surpassed the 80-point mark, and Adebayo made it clear The way he carried himself after the game.

“You talk about how they don’t play defense but at the end of the day they’re an NBA team,” Adebayo told SportsCenter’s Scott Van Pelt.

SVP: “The Wizards’ defense is not their strength…”

Bam: “You talk about how they don’t play defense but at the end of the day they’re an NBA team”

Respect there! pic.twitter.com/LR3wc4ak8

– Oh no, he didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) 11 March 2026

Seriously, the Wizards aren’t a very good team. But they have capable defenders and players who are in the NBA for a reason. But for some unknown reason, the Washington Heat couldn’t stop the star from committing fouls, allowing him to score points when facing double or even triple teams late in the game.

The accomplishments of Heat star Bam Adebayo cannot be overstated.

Would Adebayo’s 83-point night mean more if he came against a team with a better record? Not necessary. Adebayo still had to go through hoops to score 83 points and the Wizards made him work for his buckets, especially during the second half.

Is it Adebayo’s fault the Wizards couldn’t stop him from hacking? What he was doing was his job. He made these field goals. He made those buckets. And it is his name that will forever remain in the NBA record books.

Despite putting in big numbers this year, Luka Doncic has faced heavy criticism this season. From the discussion about his foul play to a heliocentric game that people consider “undesirable”, Doncic has gone through a lot of discussion as the Lakers try to steady themselves in the final stretch of the regular season.

Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors star and host of his eponymous podcast, decided to weigh in on the discussion, taking the media to task for its criticism of Doncic, but saying it was the same criticism that prompted Harrison to be traded in the first place.

A lot of people crushed on Nico for the reasons he gave. When Nico gave those reasons everyone said he was ridiculous, he was crazy. Now when I turn on the TV all I see is the media that trashed Nico, which essentially got him fired, repeating the same things Nico Harrison was saying. I haven’t seen anyone come out and say, ‘Hey Nico, I’m sorry for the things I said about you when you did these things because I said the same things out of my own mouth.’

Green said, “It has nothing to do with Luca and it has nothing to do with the media and Nico Harrison. Nico gave his reasoning for why he felt it was the right move. Everyone said ‘You’re an idiot.’

Harrison’s criticism of Doncic focused on a mix of on-court and off-court factors. The former Mavericks star was due to receive a five-year, $345 million supermax extension in the summer of 2025 and Harrison raised issues about Doncic’s condition, off-court habits and a chronic calf strain that sidelined him to the point of being traded to the Lakers.

Harrison was eventually relieved of his duties with the Mavericks after a disappointing start to the season.

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic hit back at his critics over his level of commitment to basketball.

Jokic is playing the 11th season of his NBA career with the Nuggets. He earned his place as one of the best players in the entire league, often making it look easy with his elite skill set.

How simple it seems has left critics debating whether the veteran superstar has cared enough about the game over the past few seasons. Jokic finally addressed those things during an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, and dismissed the idea that he doesn’t care.

“There are a lot of people who say, ‘Well how much does he care?'” Andrews asked.

Joc responded, “I care a lot. …I think if you don’t care about winning you shouldn’t be in this game.”

“There are a lot of people who say, ‘Well, how much does he care?'”—@malika_andrews

“I care a lot. …I think if you don’t care about winning you shouldn’t be in this game.” -Nikola Jokic 🏀 pic.twitter.com/oASUyjZSCf

– NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) 18 February 2026

What’s next for Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets?

It’s clear that Nikola Jokic has proven himself to be a dedicated winner in the NBA for a long time. That was especially the case throughout his tenure with the Nuggets, leading them to the mountaintop with a 2023 championship.

Jokic continues to be remarkable throughout the 2025-26 season. He averaged 28.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 10.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 39 games. He is shooting 59% from the field, including 42% from beyond the arc and 84% from the free-throw line.

Denver compiled a 35–20 record on the season and finished third in the Western Conference standings. They are one game up on the Houston Rockets and 1.5 games up on the Los Angeles Lakers. However, they trail the San Antonio Spurs by 3.5 games and the Oklahoma City Thunder by 6.5 games.

With the All-Star break over, the Nuggets will resume action with a three-game road trip. They will face the Los Angeles Clippers on February 19 at 10:30 PM ET, the Portland Trail Blazers on February 20 at 10 PM ET, and the Golden State Warriors on February 22 at 3:30 PM ET.