Should Heat’s Bam Adebayo have stopped short of Kobe Bryant’s 81 out of respect?

Everyone needs to calm down about Bam Adebayo’s 83-point performance. 

Was it cringeworthy? Yes. Was it achieved through an ungodly number of free throws? Yes.

Was it disrespectful to Kobe Bryant? No. 

Adebayo’s feat is drawing polarized reactions not just because of how he reached the second-highest point total in NBA history but because of whom he surpassed. 

Lakers legend Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Raptors in January 2006. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images) Getty Images

Adebayo leapfrogged Bryant’s 81-point performance against the Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006. That was one of the most awe-inspiring performances of Bryant’s career. The Lakers needed those points for the come-from-behind win, and Bryant transformed into an unconscious scoring machine to make it happen. 

It was thrilling. It was vintage Bryant. It was part of the magic of what made him a legend. 

What Adebayo did Tuesday against a tanking Wizards team was very different. He made 36 of 43 free throws to get to 83 points. With the Heat leading by as many as 28 points in the fourth quarter, what he was doing was pure, unadulterated stat chasing, a far cry from Bryant’s organic artistry. 

The question is should Adebayo have allowed Bryant to keep the second-best mark?

Absolutely not. 

Here’s the thing, admittedly, something feels icky about watching Adebayo pass Bryant, who tragically died in a helicopter crash in 2020 alongside his daughter, Gianna. But that instinct needs to be curbed. Why? Because Bryant wouldn’t have wanted another player to defer to him. 

Bryant’s persona was being a stone-cold killer on the court. He was the Black Mamba, the human form of one of the most dangerous snakes on the planet. 

He wouldn’t have wanted mercy. He wouldn’t have wanted conciliation. 

Bryant would’ve wanted Adebayo to go for it. He would’ve been cheering for him louder than anyone. He would’ve scowled at anyone who criticized how he scored those points.

Just look at how Bryant handled things in the past. 

Back in 2018, when the sports world devolved into a nightmarish echo chamber as pundits endlessly debated whether LeBron James was the greatest player of all time after he reached the NBA Finals eight straight seasons, Bryant cut through the white noise.

Tweeted Bryant: “We can enjoy one without tearing down one. I love what he’s doing. Don’t debate what can’t be definitively won by anyone #enjoymy5 #enjoymj6 #enjoylbjquest.”

Heat teammates celebrate center Bam Adebayo (13) on Tuesday after he scored 83 points, the second-highest single-game total in NBA history. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) AP

Here’s to guessing Bryant would’ve said something similar after Adebayo’s performance.

It doesn’t matter whose performance was more pure. Both feats can be celebrated. They were both superhuman.

After Bryant tragically died at age 41, his legend took on a completely different dimension, becoming sacrosanct. 

It was painful watching Adebayo break Bryant’s mark. It felt wrong. If he had stopped at 81 points as an ode to Bryant, Adebayo would’ve gotten even more respect. All he had to do was sit with 1:37 left and the Heat up by 27 points. All he had to do was take the high road. 

But Bryant wouldn’t have wanted that. And that’s what matters most. 

Bryant fully believed in celebrating greatness. He believed in putting a high heel on his opponent’s throat and stomping. What happened Tuesday was a celebration of that type of spirit. 

When James surpassed Bryant as third on the league’s all-time leading scoring list on Jan. 25, 2020, Bryant was at the front of the line to congratulate him. 

In his final tweet, Bryant wrote, “Continuing to move the game forward @kingjames. Much respect my brother.   #33644.” Bryant died the next morning. 

In a sense, Adebayo moved the game forward. 

You might not like it. You might not agree with it. 

But it was in the spirit of the game. 

It was in the spirit of what Bryant stood for.