Bam Adebayo addresses critics of his 83-point game

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo addressed those criticizing him for surpassing Kobe Bryant for the second-most points in a single game in NBA history.

Adebayo appeared on “The Dan Patrick Show” Friday and was asked by Patrick if he ever considered stopping at 81 points to ensure he did not pass Bryant during Tuesday’s game against the Washington Wizards. The center answered with a firm no and said that while he never had the chance to meet Bryant, he firmly believes the Laker legend would have wanted Adebayo to keep scoring.

“I know if it was the other way around, Kobe would’ve said ‘I’m shooting for whatever I can get,'” Adebayo said. “I’m appreciative of it because it’s my idol. It’s somebody who I grew up watching.

“If the dead could talk, I firmly believe he’d be like, ‘Congratulations, young fella. You did something I thought nobody could even reach for the next 40, 50 years.'”