
Hoop Collective: EMERGENCY POD: Bam Adebayo Scores 83 points!! Passing Kobe for 2nd-Most in NBA History
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Hello and welcome to the Hoop Collective podcast. We talk about the NBA, which we're doing on Tuesday evening. Joining me from across the street here in Los Angeles is Tim Bonteps.
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You'll be shocked to know, McMahon, that I'm doing this podcast from Windows hotel room, which is of course, the presidential suite. You're shocked to know.
B
Joining us from Dallas, Texas, when he did the podcast we recorded earlier today, he was in Oklahoma City because he was at the Thunder game last night is Bam McMahon.
D
Howdy, partners. I just brushed my teeth to get the vomit taste out of my mouth after watching that despicable display of stat chasing. And let's celebrate it now.
B
All right, so we are doing this as an emergency podcast because bam Metabayo had 83 points, the second highest number of points in NBA history, tonight against
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the Wizards, modern NBA scoring record.
B
Bontemps and I were in crypto.com arena, where we were going to attend the Timberwolves Lakers game. And basically. And look where we were. Doesn't matter. But just to describe the scene, like, Bam is racking up points and all the NBA personnel who were at the game, coaches on the court.
C
Yeah, we're a courtside watching the game, and people. Everybody was watching the game.
B
Everybody was watching the game on their phone and reacting. And being inside crypto.com arena, the home of Kobe Bryant, when this went down was interesting. I'm just gonna tell you right now, people are gonna be in their feelings about this. And I think some people on this podcast are gonna be in their feelings, and I'm gonna get out of their way. I'm just gonna say one thing. Ordinary Time is wonderful because you get special things that happen in Ordinary Time, and that's what makes it special. And the second thing I'm gonna say is we celebrate basketball and we celebrate great accomplishments. Sam Adebayo had a great accomplishment tonight, but people are going to be in their feelings and with that.
D
And listen, I'm being a bit over the top with this. The guy had 31 in the first quarter. You know, he had 50, but pretty early in the third. But, man, this was a hilarious exhibition of hideous basketball against the Washington. No, not the Generals. The Lizards. My bad. I don't want to disrespect them. The Lizards, the blatantly tanking deserve to be humiliated Washington Lizards. But goodness sakes, I mean, I get it, Bam's your guy, you know, he's got a chance to chase some history. But you're up 20 something intentionally fouling to extend the game with minutes left. You are like he's jacking up threes while being triple teamed. I mean it was just, it honestly was just awful, hideous, disgusting basketball down to stretch that. I admit I was cracking up laughing while watching. But I never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever want to hear about Heat culture and professionalism and all that crap again. Because that was the most blatant stat chasing I've ever seen. Honestly, it was the worst stat chasing since Ricky Davis tried to get a rebound on the wrong basket to get a triple double. But the difference is this was minutes and minutes and minutes and extended game stat chasing. So it was embarrassing for the Lizards, egregious for the Heat. But hey, you got your 83. I enjoyed the Ethical 39 by Wimby more than I enjoyed the Egregious 83. But I'm old, I'm grumpy. I admit it.
C
McMahon just doesn't want to be working at 10 o' clock at night Central time on Tuesday night after after a rough travel day when he slept in, had his nice relaxing lunch, had his podcast at 2:30. For podcasts at 1 o' clock I should say. So he could fly home at 2:30 in the afternoon, have a nice relaxing dinner, sit down and watch the game.
D
Hold on, you forget all. No one cares about my itinerary. This wasn't the most egregious example of stat chasing you've ever seen. If if anybody criticized Russell Westbrook for stat chasing but enjoyed this, they're absolute hypocrites. If anybody's ever called Shea Gildas Alexander a free throw merchant, but you were fired up to watch bam Adebayo shoot 43 free throws. And by the way, God, how do you keep fouling the man? My gracious. The refs had to change their whistles out midway through the fourth quarter.
C
Well, here's all I'm going to say one I have not had as much fun as I've had at a game in a long time. And as I had before the game tonight with Brian and about 10 other people watching this game and watching the end of the game, everybody in the building was locked in on it and enjoying it. Outside of, I would say some Lakers partisans who Were, let's say, not. Not so thrilled because he passed a certain Kobe Bryant. I will also remind everyone that almost exactly 10 years ago, let's say just under 10 years ago, there was a game across the street at Staples center where KOBE Bryant had 60 points on 50 shots that was lauded as one of the most incredible games of all time. And by the way, it was. It was great.
D
It was his swan song. It was. It was Kobe Bryant. It was 48 minutes of egregious stat chasing, no question about it.
C
And it. And it was awesome. And it was. It was a memorable game, and it was fun to watch. I was sitting in San Francisco watching the warriors win their 73rd game. Going, man, it would have been cool to be at Staples to watch Kobe do this today. And you know what? It would have been really cool to be down in Miami to watch this game today, because it was great. Bam is an awesome player. Won a couple gold medals. He's been a great player in the league. And like you said, McMahon, he had 31 in the first quarter. It's not like he had.
B
He had 53 in the first half, right?
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Something like that.
D
It's not like 43, I think, in the first half.
B
Oh, 40. Yeah.
C
And then he was, I think, over 60 after three. It's not like he came into the fourth quarter with 32 points. And then it became a farcical exhibition to get him down to the end. And yes, the final two minutes.
D
I don't know what that word you said was, but it sounds like it wasn't great. And this was not great to get him to the end again.
C
The last couple minutes, there was intentional fouling to get him a few extra points.
B
It was.
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That point was already like gracious bond.
D
Tim, stop kissing butt. And at least be honest.
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I had a great time watching it. Okay, that's not the point.
D
It was agreed to stat chasing. Don't act like. Oh, it was a little. They were Fallon intensively like, three minutes left.
C
Listen, I mean, it was two minutes left, and it looked like. It actually looked like on the screen, Bam was trying to say not to foul. I couldn't really tell. But then they just. Then once they did once, they kept going. But look, I don't really care. Just like, I just like there was nobody after that Kobe game saying, oh, Kobe stat. Jason going for 60.
D
Oh, of course it was.
C
I mean, look, the overwhelming opinion coming out of that game was that it was an awesome way for Kobe's career to end, and it was an awesome night. And I would say this is the same thing. Like it was awesome to watch. Everybody at the game was having a great time watching it. And yeah, I mean again it's an ordinary time game. It's the middle of March, Tuesday night. You don't expect. I mean this has been my tweets all year. It was an awesome thing that happened tonight and you know it. It's going to be one of the most memorable pre games I'll ever have in my career. I'll tell you what question about that
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More Hoop Collective podcast after this.
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That a rod down the ray? I don't know if he was watching, but he was there. And Rob Palinka there. I'm sure he has thoughts on this.
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If anybody loves phony stat chasing, it's a rod.
B
How are we doing?
C
Drive by Zon.
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Well, listen, you know, his stats were a little pumped up, let's just say. But 20 of 43 from the floor, 7 of 22 from 3 point range, 36 of 43.
C
The 43.
D
This was this. That 83 was as authentic as most of the women's faces who sit courtside in that arena.
B
All right, I want to just say we. We don't have video of. Can one of you guys get the fourth quarter stats for tonight?
D
I just looked it up in NBA dot com. It wasn't loading, but it was.
C
I'll pull it up.
B
All right, so I have Wilt Chamberlain's box score. We don't have video of it. Right. We have no idea how ethical that was. But I'm assuming.
C
Did you know somebody who played in that game? Sam Stith, Bonaventure. Say Bonaventure legend. I talked to him about it, will.
D
It was 28 of 32 from the line. 36 of 63.
B
All right, hold your water. Hold your water. Oh, there's no water. Don't bring up St. Bonaventure right now. Bon Thames.
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The bottom of it's just great.
B
The Will Chamberlain in the fourth quarter of that game, okay, he had 21 shots in the fourth quarter of that gameSale, he was 12 of 21. He had 10 free throws. Do we, you know, do we think that there may have been some shenanigans to get him to a hundred points, some stat chasing?
D
Absolutely.
B
Okay. I just, I'm not. I'm just saying like, you know, if you're going to praise Wilt and you're going to praise Kobe, like there may have been, you know, I'm, you know, I don't. What happened.
C
So Bam in the fourth quarter of this game was 3 for 8 from the field. He was 1 for 6 from 3 and he was 14 for 16 from the lot. He had 21 of his. He had 62 points after three quarters and 21 points in the fourth.
B
Wilt shooting in that game. He took 14 shots in the first quarter, 12 in the second quarter, 16 in the third, 21 in the fourth. He was 12 of 21 in the fourth quarter. He was hoisting a little bit, gents. So, you know, like just, just, you know, dick on back to the 60s. Like I'm just right.
D
As long as we acknowledge that it was a completely meaningless game that BAM got hot and they decided to prioritize only state chasing stats and we can celebrate.
B
I'm not sure that Kobe against Toronto was actually for. For high stakes. That was an ordinary time game, you know, so almost right around the same
C
time of the year. I don't remember exactly what date it was.
B
I think it was in February. But look, the one thing I didn't like, I didn't like the Heat fouling to extend the game that I did not like.
D
I mean, that was embarrassing.
B
Yes, but the majority of his points were scored. Look, they're a bad team. They're a bad team.
D
The Lizards.
B
Yeah, they're a bad team. I agree, but they're a bad team every night and you don't see somebody put up 80.
D
No, I mean it's definitely a historical feet. It's just. I mean, sheesh. The percentages are hilarious. I'm sorry.
B
January 27th, 50% for the floor.
D
You know, whatever 7 of 22 is, it's sub 33%. 43 free throws. And honestly, how embarrassing for the Lizards that they've got. They're triple teaming him in the fourth quarter and they still are just hacking.
B
They were definitely fouling him. And especially the last one where he got the 83.
D
They body slam Spoelstra. Spoelstra challenged a charge on Bam when they were up 25 with less than three minutes remaining.
B
Well, The Wizards then challenged another foul shortly thereafter.
D
Was there, was there a Spoelstra Brian Keith postgame handshake?
B
I didn't see it. But Spoelstra, I'll tell you one thing in all, like, real talk here, you make fun of me if you want. Eric Spoelstra never smiles. Never.
D
Oh, he was smiling, cacking and giggling and everything.
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He was definitely laughing on the sidelines.
B
Eric Spoelstra rarely smiles, not ironically, during the regular season. I'll allow that he will sometimes smile ironically and that he will smile after I've covered him. When he's won championships, he will smile. After he helped the US Team win the gold medal in Paris, he smiled. He was smiling in the fourth quarter of this game because he knew that this was a special moment and he was drawing. They were drawing up all kinds of wacky stuff to get him open. But, like, here's the thing.
D
A lot of the wacky stuff is just throw the Bam over three guys and.
B
Well, the one thing that ended up happening, the one thing that ended up happening, they were triple teaming him and he was throwing up threes over triple teams. And the Heat kept getting offensive fouls because the Wizards were all out of position for rebounds because they weren't guarding anybody.
D
How about when the Heat intentionally missed, missed the second free throw to try to get an odd so I can get him the ball.
B
He actually got fouled on that play. He should have gotten free throws, but they didn't call.
D
I mean, Jesus, I just say, let's
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not focus on the last five minutes. Let's focus on the 40 became before it, when he was having a mastery game.
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The guy had 62 on 50% shooting through the first three quarters. Like, it's not like, again, I, I, that's all I will say. Like, we're at, we're. Me and Brian were at the game. We're walking around, we're, I think we're walking out to the court and we got an alert that Bam had 31 in the first quarter. It's like, holy crap, Bam at 31 in the first quarter. And then like, everybody was kind of like, keep an eye on it after that.
B
Yeah. You were here. You were hearing people around the arena going, he's got 47, he's got 58.
C
Right? He's got 63. Yeah, yeah. I mean, people are like, holy crap, he's got 62 points at three quarters.
B
And then when he got to the 70s, people were like, 71, 72. Like, you know, and like, like Deandre
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Ayton was in the middle of his workout. He was like asking what was going on.
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Yeah, deandre Ayton came over and was watching the phone.
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It was so much fun.
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And I guarantee in the back, all the players were watching on tv. I guarantee.
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Oh, I'm sure. For sure.
B
But I will tell you that as we were leaving the arena to come over here to do this, there was some grumbling going on from Laker.
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There were some frowns.
D
Oh, I don't doubt that. And again, listen, is that hypocritical? Yeah. Because Kobe's Swan song, the 50 point swan song was a historic display.
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60 on 50 shots.
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60.
D
That's right. The 60 point swan song. That was a historic display of statues.
B
Right.
C
But it was also great. And I watched it just like I watched this one.
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It was.
C
And it was great. It was fun.
D
It definitely was entertaining. I will fully admit that it was entertaining. It was egregiously entertaining.
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It's.
C
It's really cool for. And look, look, regardless of the final couple minutes of the game, I think it's cool that a guy like Bam, who I don't know anybody in the league who doesn't like Bam, like, he's universally like guy, he's obviously been made several all star teams, part of a couple gold medal winning teams. Like, is not a guy that's known for being a high scoring guy. Like I was talking about this with a couple people at the game after, as this was happening. There were probably six people on the teams at Staples today that you would think could get do this before you take a ban.
B
We did, we did say that. We said in this game tonight you have Ann Edwards, obviously you have Luca, who's had a 70 point game. LeBron, Reeves, Austin.
C
Reeves probably has Reed and Dante DiVincenzo. Frank.
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Julius Randall. Yeah, Julius Randall.
D
So LeBron or I'm sorry, Bam's previous season high was 32. He had 31 in the first quarter.
C
I think it was 41. His career, his career was 41 season high. Sorry, sorry. Yeah.
B
I was once at a game where Kevin Love, I think scored 31 in the first quarter and he was so exhausted after that, I think he scored like seven or eight the rest of the game. So by the way, it takes a. You can make fun of this. It takes a lot of endurance to take 50. Well, how many shots he take? 46. It takes a lot of endurance. Take 46 shots.
D
No, four. 43 and then 36. He. So he took 80, 43 from the floor and 37 from the line.
C
He had like 60 shooting possessions in the game. It's, it's like, it's crazy. But yeah, like it was, it's just cool to see a guy like that. That wouldn't have been like, I, I,
D
somebody sent me 43 and 43. 86.
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Yeah, yeah.
C
Like it's, it's like a 65 shot, a 65 possession game. Like you. Bill Simmons, I think tweeted there wouldn't have been the top 50 guys you would have picked to do this before the season. You wouldn't have put Bam in the top 50. He might have been the top 100. If you really picked somebody to do this.
B
We thought third highest on his own team, Tyler Hero and Norm Powell, we would definitely think.
C
Right.
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Would do this before he would. Yeah. So yeah, it's a special here. I'll say this. Bam. Bam has gold medals. I don't know, he's been in a couple of finals, but he'll always have this, this will always be remembered. And you know what? In 7, 8, 12, 15 years, people are not going to remember that they foul at the end of the game. Sourpuss is like you, McMahon.
D
Yes, they will remember it. Trust me. That was a memorable scene at the end of the game.
B
How many Kobe fans out there in that arena tonight who were pissed off, how many of them would remember how many free throws Kobe took when he scored? 81. That whole fourth quarter was free throws for him.
D
12, 13 in the fourth.
B
Okay, Bam had 16. Like, is it that, is it that far off? You know, I'm.
C
No, of course not.
B
I would say. What would you have said, McMahon? What would you have said if they pulled him with like 67
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hell of
D
a game and you.
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And, and, and people would have been like, how could they not leave him out there? It's a once in a lifetime.
D
Yeah. And listen, I get that. Honestly though, the fouling intention, the intentionally missing free throws, I mean, I'm sorry. It was disgusting basketball.
B
The last 5% of the scoring was unethical. But what about the other. What about the rest?
C
That's what I'm saying again, it's not like he scored 40 points in the final 15 minutes on garbage stuff. That's my, that's what I'm saying. We're talking about like the final handful of points when again, the guy was exhausted and trying to get open and the Wizards were triple teaming him. I mean, obviously at that point there was a lot of silly stuff going on, but it was still great to watch and it Was super fun. It was great. Like, if you like basketball, at which everybody in the. Everybody on the court likes basketball, it's why we're all employed there. Everybody was having a great time watching it, Brian. I think it attests to that. Lakers people were watching it. Bulls people were watching it. Scouts were watching it. It was. It was great.
B
I was talking to Rob Polinka before the game. I don't know how Rob. Rob disappeared.
C
I assume Rob would not have been thrilled about it for obvious reasons. He left the court. I think before that it got to that point.
D
By the way, Kobe's. Kobe's 81. He was 28 of 46 from the floor, 18 of 20 from the line.
B
Better efficiency,
D
37 made free throws again. Hey, celebrate it. Just never, ever, ever do I want to hear. He went five of eight about Shay's free throws again.
B
He went five of eight on threes in the first quarter. And then what? Two of what, 14.
D
The rest of 15.
B
No, two of two of 14.
D
Hey, do you think Jaylen Brown enjoyed it? He was back there. He was back there in the locker room after getting tossed.
B
Jaylen Brown was tweeting from the locker room.
D
Why did he tweet about Bam's game? He was tweeting about getting tossed. He should have just been back there live tweeting Bam's game.
C
So Bam, in 57 games this season, has taken 274 free throws. He just upped his free throws for the year by like, 30%. One game, 20%. That's awesome. That's just great. This is awesome.
D
It is hilarious.
C
It's a random night in March.
B
Ordinary time.
C
I'm never gonna forget watching it. Never gonna get watching it, never gonna forget where I was at. It was awesome. Band's a great dude. Happy for him. It's really cool.
B
I had, like, seven different group chats of people like, you know, I was trying to watch the game, and my pocket is exploding.
D
The.
B
You know, everybody. Everybody whose phone that we're watching it on, there's like three or four different people were.
C
Of their texters flying in.
B
There's. All their group chats are alive. Like, this isn't this. This is my point. Like, can't we say that we all had a moment on a Tuesday in March? That's kind of cool.
C
Exactly. Just like we did on a two.
B
On a.
C
Whatever. It was a Sunday in April 10 years ago when Kobe did that.
B
I remember when LeBron broke the record for Kareem's record. They harvested every piece of memorabilia that was existence. Now granted, LeBron's memorabilia is going to go more than Bams, but the one off value of this, I'll bet that the Heat are pulling everything they possibly can short of tearing up the cord itself.
D
Well, I hope they've got an eye on their security guards.
B
Then I was like, how much is that? You know, Bam was chewing on that mouth guard. You know it was coming. How much is that mouth guard gonna go?
C
It was great. That was. That was a wildly unexpected way for the night to go.
D
Hey, listen, at least the Wizards or the Lizards rather have played one entertaining game this year.
C
Hey, by the way, if we're going to talk about Tank and teams, since we're sitting here, we got to shout out the Memphis Grizzlies. This. This is some unbelievable tanking that they are doing.
D
Wait, did they pull a loss out of their hat tonight?
C
Oh, oh, they sure did. They were losing the whole game to the Sixers without. I mean, VJ Edgam came back and played, but all their other guys were out. They're losing the whole game. They wind up. Or wi. They. They. Or they were winning the whole game. They wind up losing by 10.
D
Oh my.
C
They are now. They were. They were at one point 15 and 16 and 18 and 23. They are now 23 and 41. That is five. That is there so many losses in a row.
D
Yeah. Got outscored by 16 in the fourth quarter. That's good work. All right. Yes.
C
Aaron, it's just some all time tank and maneuvering.
B
Well, if you're going to talk about another game tonight, you should talk about the spurs beating the Celtics, which was a quality win. And. But Jaylen Brown was ejected in the first half by a friend of the pod, Tyler Ford.
D
No, I'll say this. Tyler gave him the first tee and made the. Or didn't make the call. That. That was the, you know, Jalen Brown was upset about.
B
But yeah, he did.
D
He didn't. He didn't eject him. The other ref came in.
B
There was no foul. That's what Jalen was upset about. He was upset that there was no foul.
D
Yeah, he didn't make the call. He didn't make the call.
B
Right. Yeah.
D
And he. Tyler, little fella, five foot nine in his hocus, but, you know, personality is bigger than his stature. No, I'm serious. He was very patient. And Brown earned his first tee. It was extended. It was pointing.
C
Tyler was trying really hard not to get.
D
Yeah, the poor. The poor report says profanity. Of course there's profanity and then Brown kept going and going and going and Tyler didn't give him the second tee. The other ref came in and teed him up and tossed him.
B
But like, dude, that's what normally happens. They have the back.
D
People are mad at the refereeing. How about once you get a tee, you. You've had, you said what you had to say. How about you don't get ejected in a big game for your team? How about holding the player accountable?
C
I mean, look, Jalen goes to the locker room and tweets about it, I'm sure he's going to get a huge fine. He was complaining after the last Burrs game about fouls. I was at that one. I'm sure he's going to get a big fine for this whole thing. But like, think about it, to me is like he was selling a call. There was a little bit of contact with Stefan Castle. It's not like he got tackled out of bounds. So like, if you want to be annoyed about it, okay, fine. That's a wild call to get ejected from that game for Victor Romanyama.
B
Had 40 39. Hell of a win for them.
D
8 of 15 from 310 0. When he hits at least 4 bontemps, that's.
B
I mean, listen, I'm on that team too. I don't. I wish he wouldn't shoot that many threes.
C
But you know, listen, when he hits threes, it's going to look great. There's no question about that. As we've said many times.
B
All right, that's enough. We're talking about Bam out of bio. Congratulations to Bam. Congratulations on 83 points. There's a new second place modern holder and the Kobe fans are going to rally at the statue in a short time. McMahon, if you get down here fast enough, we can save you a spot.
D
I'm not that passionate about it.
C
I'm just going like a seat. All right.
B
All right. Thank you to our producers, Mark and Jackson and Devon for staying up late. We'll talk to you guys on the other pod very soon.
D
Adios, Migos. Shot clocks, big shots, upsets, aces. TGL playoffs are here. First, Atlanta Drive starts their repeat run against Los Angeles Golf Club. Then Rory's Boston Common golf and Tigers Jupiter Links face off in their playoff debuts. Who will advance? Keep up its playoffs. Tune in Tuesday, March 17 at 6:30pm and 9pm only on ESPN and the ESPN app.
Podcast: Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective
Episode: EMERGENCY POD: Bam Adebayo Scores 83 points!! Passing Kobe for 2nd-Most in NBA History
Date: March 11, 2026
Host: Brian Windhorst, with Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon
Main Theme: Instant reactions and spirited debate after Bam Adebayo's shocking 83-point game, the second-highest scoring performance in NBA history, surpassing Kobe Bryant.
This emergency episode convenes immediately after Bam Adebayo’s unprecedented 83-point explosion against the Washington Wizards (jokingly called "Lizards" throughout). The hosts, including Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps, and Tim MacMahon, deliver raw reactions from different on-site perspectives. They dissect the achievement, the nature of the performance and its context, the Heat’s controversial stat-chasing late in the game, and the broader significance—good and bad—of such historic NBA moments.
MacMahon’s opening salvo:
Bontemps on atmosphere:
Stat chasing then and now:
On Bam’s unlikely place in history:
Windhorst on legacy:
On culture and hypocrisy:
This podcast offered a riveting breakdown—both celebratory and critical—of a historic yet controversial NBA night. The hosts contextualized Bam Adebayo’s achievement, drew parallels (and distinctions) with other iconic performances, highlighted the NBA community’s shared excitement, and dissected the ethics of stat-chasing. For listeners, it’s both a time capsule of a wild night and a case study in how sporting legacy is shaped—messy, memorable, and hotly debated.