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Bam scoring controversy vs. Tanking

Originally posted on thePeachBasket | By Eric Labrador | Last updated Mar 11, 2026 9:16 PM ET

Bam Adebayo‘s 83 point night has generated controversy because of the following question: Was it done the right way? Many people have spoken out, out of disbelief that Adebayo could’ve done this feat. Why not Luka? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Nikola Jokic? Others have come out and claimed “purity” comparing Kobe’s 81 point game, Wemby’s 39 point “ethical” game, etc.

Key issue

Fans are “screaming bloody murder” because the Heat started to foul the Wizards players to speed up their possessions and get the ball back. This was “the cardinal sin.” As a Heat fan, the team and organization had every right to be selfish in the fourth quarter. The Washington Wizards are tanking their season. They weren’t fined by the NBA as the Jazz and Pacers were in February but their moves are obvious. The Wizards put together back-to-back victories against the Pacers in February because a player, Anthony Gil, had good scoring games.

In 2013 when the Heat beat the Spurs in the NBA Finals, a fellow spectator floated a hot take that “the NBA game is rigged.” It is true that there have been issues in professional basketball with referees (Tim Donaghy) or players (Terry Rozier) and gambling. I told the fan that if NBA games were rigged, it would have to be the biggest illegal confidence game in world history.

Is the NBA rigged?

The only documented rigging of a competitive basketball game was in 1978 where mobsters rigged nine Boston College games. The mobsters recruited between two to six players on the team. The confidence game was limited to the Northeast (Boston College, Fordham, St. John’s, Holy Cross, UConn, Harvard, Rhode Island.)

The NBA game has too many eyes on the game to be able to confidently. There isn’t enough money in the world to have so many players, referees, public information people, front office people be involved. Case in point, the move by teams to “tank their season” is obvious. All that though is only for a better percentage chance in the NBA draft lottery to get a top pick.

“Tanking” is bad for business

An NBA team does have an incentive to tank if they do not feel they can be competitive. But, fans can figure out if teams are tanking. Even if a team “lucks out” (like the Dallas Mavericks) and gets the first pick in the draft, they will lose more money in the long run. The Mavericks are 21-44 in twelfth place in the West. Fans will find something else to do very quickly.

The Spurs are contending now in the NBA but they were among the lowest ranked teams in the NBA in attendance before drafting Victor Wembanyama. From the 2019-2020 season to last season, the Spurs didn’t win more than 35 games in a season. They were among the lowest ranked teams in attendance. The Spurs and other small market teams lose money just because. The Spurs recent history of titles helped them more than anything else.

This article first appeared on thePeachBasket and was syndicated with permission.

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