Bam Adebayo has heard the criticism toward his 83-point scoring explosion earlier this week.
The Miami Heat star tallied the second-highest scoring game in NBA history at home against the Washington Wizards in one of the more surprising sports moments in recent history. And the media reaction was largely negative. Some argued Adebayo cheated his way to the scoring total. Others mocked the circus-style basketball that both teams played down the stretch once it became clear Adebayo could catch Kobe Bryant’s longstanding 81-point mark.
But in an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show on Friday, Adebayo argued that the negative reaction to the performance was because he didn’t fit the “agenda” from NBA fans and commentators for what a scorer looks like.
“I wasn’t part of the ‘agenda,’” Adebayo said. “It shocked the world because it wasn’t somebody who they glorify as a scorer, as somebody who can get that record.”
Later, Adebayo said that some of the criticism likely came because people don’t watch enough Heat games — and may not have been watching the 83-point game, either.
The Heat have blown leads against inferior teams too often lately, Adebayo said, and he wanted to shut the door on Washington, especially with leading scorers Tyler Herro and Norman Powell sidelined for the game.
Adebayo also noted that while Miami and coach Erik Spoelstra may have shoveled scoring opportunities toward Adebayo down the stretch, the Wizards partook in plenty of shenanigans themselves.
“It wasn’t like, ‘The Miami Heat are just sh*tting the game away,’” Adebayo said. “It was also them being like, in order for Bam not to get this record, we’re just going to foul his other teammates when he touches the ball. That’s unethical basketball to me, whatever you want to call it. People are going to try (to poke holes, but) what I did out there was special to me and everybody who knows how hard I work behind the scenes.”