Nick Young thinks Bam Adebayo should have called it a night before moving past Kobe Bryant. Adebayo believes his 83-point outing left room for an even bigger accomplishment.
Their contrasting views put the Miami Heat center’s scoring explosion against Washington back under the spotlight, with Young questioning both the pursuit and the player behind it.
“He should’ve stopped. I didn’t think nobody would break that. Not Bam,” Young said, via Club Shay Shay.
Young’s objection went beyond how Adebayo accumulated his points. He also took issue with seeing Adebayo ahead of Bryant’s 81-point performance.
“Some stuff you just gotta leave for certain people,” he said. “I think it’s because it’s Bam. His name is ‘Bam.’ Who wants to see Bam over Kobe like that?”
Bam Adebayo says he could have gone beyond Wilt Chamberlain
Adebayo offered his own explanation during a Makeshift Podcast appearance, describing Bryant as an idol and acknowledging that he intentionally chased the milestone.
“I went for it. I knew exactly what I was doing,” he said.
After reaching 70 with nine minutes remaining, Adebayo chose to continue despite fatigue. He also suggested sharper shooting could have pushed his total beyond Wilt Chamberlain.
Article Continues Below“I had 83 on a bad shooting night,” he said. “I would’ve passed Wilt.”
Adebayo challenged complaints about his 43 free throws, saying Washington fouled him throughout the matchup. He recalled Kel’el Ware suggesting an 80-point finish after his 30-point opening quarter.
He also cited Miami’s circumstances: Several starters missed the game, and the Heat had recently lost to Utah.
Young wanted Adebayo to stop short of Bryant. Adebayo made clear that passing his idol represented an opportunity he intended to take.