Bam Adebayo draws criticism for Luka Doncic remarks after 60-point game

Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo in game against Detroit Pistons

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Matthew Couden

By Matthew Couden

Contributing Writer

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The Los Angeles Lakers achieved an eighth-straight win on Thursday night, defeating the Miami Heat thanks to a triple-double from LeBron James and a 60-piece from Luka Doncic.

His 60-point performance was certainly a talking point about what's possible when it comes to his abilities. Since it came against the Miami Heat, that made it even more of a talking point due to their star player's recent achievement.

Fans saw Adebayo take the sports world spotlight earlier this month, when he unleashed an 83-point game, setting the record for second-most points scored in an NBA game. Only Wilt Chamberlain has scored more in a game with his historic 100-point performance back in 1962.

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Adebayo's 83 also surpassed a Lakers legend: the late, great Kobe Bryant. While Adebayo's feat was incredible, it drew scrutiny due to his doing so against one of the league's worst squads, the Washington Wizards, and had people calling him out for stat padding.

Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo in game against Detroit Pistons

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After Luka's 60-point game, questions naturally arrived for Adebayo during the postgame press conference regarding his impressive night.

"He hit some tough shots out there. It is what it is. I know what it's like to be in that mode," he said, also adding, "as people can see, it's not easy to hit 80."

While Adebayo reiterated "he made some tough shots" and that he "tipped his hat off" to Luka for the performance, fans weren't happy with him comparing his scoring 83 to what Luka did against a better team.

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"A 60 point game against a winning team(on a B2B!!) is much better than a 80 point game against a tanking team. Basic knowledge," a commenter wrote about Adebayo.

"Bam really out here gatekeeping 'that mode' like his 83 didn't come with 43 FTs and a tanking Wizards team on life support Luka dropped 60 on a playoff Heat squad on a B2B and made it look casual," another commenter said.

"Not easy to hit 80… but apparently 60 on y’all is light work," an individual replied on X.

Another said, "Did Bam just have to toot his own horn? He must be feeling salty that no one respects his forced 83-point game."

Other commenters wrote, "Dude still trying to defend his 80 pt game telling you something" and "Lmao Luka wouldve scored 90 with 30 more free throws hahaha. Holding on to something that wasnt even impressive."

Bam Adebayo's 83-point game came in a matchup where his team was up double-digits on the Wizards in the fourth quarter, but coach Erik Spoelstra chose to let him continue in the game until the final minutes to surpass Kobe's 81.

In 42 minutes of game time, Adebayo hit 20-of-43 field goal attempts and 36-of-43 free throw attempts in the win. Miami, an Eastern Conference playoff contender, won the game 150-129 against a Washington squad nowhere near the postseason discussion.

The Miami Heat star will forever remain in the history books for achieving his 83 points, but it seems many fans aren't respecting the performance, especially when he compared himself to what Luka Doncic did in a hard-fought Lakers win.