Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game has drawn more criticism than applause in the NBA world. Several fans and analysts have stated that the Miami Heat center “unethically” broke the record-breaking mark. During a media interaction, the 3-time NBA All-Star calmly explained his point of view on the debate. And now, Heat legends Shaquille O’Neal and Udonis Haslem have also supported him on social media.
The Heat head coach, Eric Spoelstra, also came out in support of Adebayo and said that most of the people who criticized his 83-point outing did not watch the game, which, as per him, was “unethical.” Former Heat center Shaquille O’Neal shared the coach’s statement on his Instagram story.
The all-time leading rebounder for the Heat, Udonis Haslem, commented with his voice of support for Bam Adebayo on the video of his statement about his legendary feat.
In his statement, Adebayo explained that it was possible in that scenario, so he answered his urge to see his name among the legends. He said that after scoring 70 points with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, any aspiring player would go for the record.
“They never had a chance,” Bam Adebayo calls out “couch coaches”
Bam Adebayo calmly addressed the talks on social media when he was asked about the “unethical” debate on his 83-point outing. The center attempted 43 free throws in the game, and several clips of him extending to get fouls have become viral on social media.
Responding to the “couch coaches,” seemingly referring to sports podcast panels, Adebayo said:
“A lot of people are upset because; if they did play, they never had a chance to get that close to chasing greatness. If you get that close, that’s the point of chasing it: to surpass it.”
The Olympic gold medalist also gave a layman’s example to make people understand his point of view on chasing history. He added:
“If you’re in the backyard, & a couple of homies are playing 21, & you have 19, you not gonna get an easy look-off. They gonna talk about the free-throws… it’s not like I shoot 15 free-throws a game, or average 10 a game. You can watch the film. I was legitimately getting fouled every time, so, I went to the free-throw line.”
Whatever the debate might be, Bam Adebayo’s name has been etched in history in bold letters, alongside the legendary Wilt Chamberlain. The Heat have now won seven in a row after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in the last game, 112-105.
The team is placed sixth in the Eastern Conference, with the same record as the fifth-place Orlando Magic. With the current form, the team will look to grab a playoff spot as soon as possible and take the same momentum into the postseason.
READ MORE: Should Bam Adebayo’s 83-Point Record Forever Be Marked by an ‘Asterisk’? Lakers Legend Weighs In
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