83 Is More Than 81 — But Kobe's 81 Is Still Better. Here's Why

Mark V. March 13, 2026
Bam Scored 83. Kobe Scored 81. So Why Is Kobe Still Winning the Debate?

83 Is More Than 81 — But Kobe's 81 Is Still Better. Here's Why

Let me get this out of the way first: I am a Lakers fan. Kobe Bryant is my guy. My codename — the one I use online — is inspired by two players: Kobe and Allen Iverson. Two players who gave everything on the court, every single night, through sheer will and zero shortcuts.

So when I woke up to news that Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat just dropped 83 points — two more than Kobe's legendary 81 — my first reaction was not celebration. It was this: Wait. How?

Because here is the thing. Bam's season high before that night was 32 points. His career average going in was 15.8 points per game. Then suddenly, in one Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards, the man doubles his career best and rewrites NBA history?

My IT brain immediately flagged this as an anomaly. Something in the logs looked off.

The Box Score Doesn't Lie — But It Also Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

Let me lay out the numbers side by side, like a proper diagnostic report.

Bam Adebayo — March 10, 2026 vs Washington Wizards

  • Points: 83
  • Field goals: 20 of 43 (46.5%)
  • Free throws: 36 of 43 (NBA record for made and attempted)
  • 3-pointers: 7 of 22

Kobe Bryant — January 22, 2006 vs Toronto Raptors

  • Points: 81
  • Field goals: 28 of 46 (60.9%)
  • Free throws: 18 of 20
  • 3-pointers: 7 of 13

Look at those free throw numbers. Bam went to the line 43 times in a single game. That broke Dwight Howard's previous record of 39 attempts. He made 36 of them — breaking Wilt Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley's record of 28 made free throws. In the fourth quarter alone, Bam shot 16 free throws.

Meanwhile Kobe shot 18 free throws for the entire game. And made 28 of 46 field goals — hitting actual shots, off the dribble, in traffic, against a defense that knew exactly what was coming.

This is the argument every Kobe fan is making right now — and honestly, it is not entirely wrong.

The Context Nobody Is Talking About

Here is what makes the debate even messier.

The Wizards came into that game with a 16-47 record — one of the worst teams in the league. The Heat were missing Tyler Herro, Norman Powell, Andrew Wiggins, and two other key players due to injuries. The team was basically running its entire offense through Bam every single possession, especially in the fourth quarter when the game was already a blowout.

The Wizards coach Brian Keefe actually said — and I am paraphrasing here — that he could not explain some of the foul calls. That Bam was getting free throws from 40 feet from the rim. That he was trying to take the ball out of Bam's hands but could not stop it.

Jaylen Brown of the Celtics publicly expressed frustration with what he called the league's trend of rewarding foul baiting. Gordon Hayward called what happened "not great for the league."

But here is where I have to be honest as a Kobe fan — and this is the part that stings a little.

Kobe Was Not Entirely Different

That CBS Sports article made a point I could not argue with: in Kobe's 81-point game, his last 17 points all came in the final five and a half minutes with a double-digit lead. Bryant was the only Laker to score in the last seven minutes of that game.

Meaning — the Raptors basically let him have it, too.

Was it the same as 43 free throw attempts? No. Kobe was still creating shots. Driving the paint. Hitting mid-range jumpers. Working off screens. The degree of difficulty was completely different. But the "garbage time padding" argument that Kobe fans are using against Bam? It technically applies a little to Kobe too.

The honest answer — the one that respects both players — is that all-time scoring nights require a perfect storm. Great player. Terrible opponent. Teammates standing aside. Enough time on the clock.

So What Does the Internet Actually Think?

The reactions were split right down the middle.

Giannis Antetokounmpo said it best: "It doesn't matter how you get to 83 points. All that matters is that you got it. In 10, 20, 30 years from now, nobody's going to remember how many free throws he shot."

Bam himself, after the game, said something that actually hit me hard as a Kobe fan. He said: "Wilt, me, then Kobe. It sounds crazy. I wish I could relive it twice." And then: "To be passing Kobe — what would he say to me? Because I've always wanted to have a conversation with him. He'll probably say, 'Go do it again.'"

That response? That is respectful. That is someone who actually idolized Kobe, not someone trying to dismiss him.

My Honest Take — As a Laker Fan

83 is 83. I cannot delete the number from the record books just because it came with 36 free throws.

But here is what I will defend forever: Kobe's 81 is a purer basketball achievement. It came through shot creation, footwork, skill, and sheer will. His field goal percentage in that game was 60.9%. He was making shots — not drawing fouls. That difference matters to anyone who actually watched Kobe play.

The record book says Bam is above Kobe now. My eyes and my basketball sense say the 81 is still the harder thing to do.

Both things can be true.

Kobe would probably laugh at this whole debate, hit a fadeaway in practice, and say nothing. That was always the move.

Not sponsored. Just a Laker fan processing his feelings through a keyboard.



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