On Tuesday night, Miami Heat starBam Adebayo scored 83 pointsagainst the Washington Wizards. Some say it'sone of the greatest performancesin NBA history, a pinnacle moment forone of the game's most unselfish stars.
I say it deserves an asterisk. The history books will not look kindly on Adebayo's fraudulent night. I will not observe Adebayo on the hallowed list of 16 games in which a player scored 70-plus points. Adebayo simply required so much illegitimate help that it warrants an asterisk.
I'm deeply sorry, Heat fans, but the truth hurts.
For all the other 70-plus scoring nights with an asterisk, I put together a short list right here for you.
100* | Wilt Chamberlain vs. New York Knicks, March 2, 1962
This wasn't even televised. Do we know it even happened? Give me a break. The Warriors made a mockery of the game by intentionally fouling to pad Wilt's stats and make sure he got to 100 by all means necessary. One hundred points, allegedly. Asterisk.
83* | Bam Adebayo vs. Washington Wizards, March 10, 2026
He needed to take 43 free throws, which, last time I checked, HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. The tanking Wizards were without Anthony Davis and were so bad they had to triple-team Adebayo in the backcourt because they were getting torched. The Heat made a mockery of the game by intentionally fouling to pad Adebayo's stats. Do it ethically, like Wilt did for 100. Easiest asterisk ever.
81* | Kobe Bryant vs. Toronto Raptors, Jan. 22, 2006
The opposing coach stubbornly refused to double team Kobe at any point in the game. Any other coach, Kobe never gets anywhere close to 80. His last seven points were at the free-throw line with a double-digit lead. Stat-padder. Do it against triple-teams like Bam Adebayo did. Fraudulent 81.
78* | Wilt Chamberlain vs. Los Angeles Lakers, Dec. 8, 1961
He needed three overtimes. And lost. Do it in regulation next time. Next question.
73* | Wilt Chamberlain vs. Chicago Packers, Jan. 13, 1962
I'm sorry, who was this against? Do I have this, right? The ChicagoPackers? Do it against the '96 Bulls and then we'll talk. Plus, according to Basketball Reference, Wilt's Warriors averaged 131 possessions per game. I'm sure if Babe Ruth played 18 inning games he'd have more home runs, too.
73* | Wilt Chamberlain vs. New York Knicks, Nov. 16, 1962
Again, the pace in the early '60s NBA was a statistical steroid. There's a reason why so many "records" come from that era. Asterisk by accelerant.
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73* | Luka Dončić vs. Atlanta Hawks, January 26, 2024
Don't get me started. This game coincidentally camebeforethe Adam Silver Referee Reform Act of 2024 in which the league office demanded midseason that the officials stop calling so many fouls. Dončić hasn't scored 70 again. Huh. Really makes you think.
73* | David Thompson vs. Detroit Pistons, April 9, 1978
Quick history lesson for all you casuals: Thompson scored only 73 so he could selfishly win the scoring title over George "Ice Man" Gervin in the last game of the regular season. And he lost. His previous high was 44 points. Get real. Asterisk.
72* | Wilt Chamberlain vs. LA Lakers, Nov. 3, 1962
Oh, wow, 1962. The same year in which Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double. What a coincidence. Wilt's team lost by 12. What a sham. Asterisk.
71* | Elgin Baylor vs. New York Knicks, Nov. 15, 1960
Is it really an accomplishment when you score 71 points against a team that finished TWELVE GAMES BEHIND THE NEXT-WORST TEAM? If he didn't want an asterisk he should've, you know, tried scoring 100 points against the Knicks in 1961-62 when they weren't the joke of the league.
71* | Damian Lillard vs. Houston Rockets, Feb. 26, 2023
He scored only 18 points as far as I'm concerned. That was his total points scored in the pure, ethical zone of 2-pointers. Asterisk.
71* | Donovan Mitchell vs. Chicago Bulls, Jan. 2, 2023
He needed overtime. Fun fact: Mitchell has never scored 50 in a non-overtime game. The "A" in Asterisk stands for Anomaly.
71* | David Robinson vs. Los Angeles Clippers, April 24, 1994
One, this was the last game of the regular season. Doesn't count. Two, it was against the Clippers. Three, he did this only because he needed to clinch the scoring title over Shaq, which he did. If he wanted to learn how to legitimately score 70, he should look up another David: David Thompson. Fraud.
70* | Devin Booker vs. Boston Celtics, March 24, 2017
The NBA has its 65-game rule. Well I have a new 28-game rule: If your team is 28 games below .500, you're ineligible for any scoring records. The Suns were 22-50 going into Booker's alleged 70-point game. Yes, they lost. Disqualified!
70* | Wilt Chamberlain vs. Syracuse Nationals, March 10, 1963
I didn't note this earlier about Chamberlain's big scoring nights, but it bears mentioning: He needed to play all 48 minutes to score 70. There's stat-padding and then there's minute-padding. And once again, Wilt's Warriors lost. By double-digits. Need I say more?
70* | Joel Embiid vs. San Antonio Spurs, Jan. 22, 2024
Like Dončić, Embiid racked up 70 points when the NBA's whistle sliders were on full blast,beforethey decided at the league office not to call as many fouls. No wonder he took a season-high 23 free throws. Also, if we're being honest, the reigning MVP beat up on an 8-35 Spurs team with a barely 20-year-old rookie center. Big whoop. This one taints all the many legitimate, pure and ethical 70-point games in NBA history. Asterisk.