With all due respect to Bam Adebayo, there is a long list of players who would have been identified as primed for an absolute scoring outburst before the Miami Heat star. Even so, Adebayo now holds the mark for second-most points scored in a single NBA game with 83. That has sparked a dialogue.
Whatever way you slice it, 83 points in a basketball game is a ridiculous feat that deserves kudos. However, there is one thing about how Adebayo got to that total that is sticking out in all the wrong ways for many NBA fans. That would be the free throws.
Adebayo got 36 of his points at the charity stripe, being award 43 attempts at the line overall. The discussion has prompted some to question the ethics of those 83 points. It has even led to Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey putting together a list of the most ethical 70-plus-point games in NBA history.
The criteria considered included: points, margin of victory, points per true shooting attempts, points per free-throw attempts, points per minutes played, and assists per field-goal attempt. In that thought experiment, a Los Angeles Lakers superstar rose to the top. Luka Doncic topped the list.
Luka Doncic's 73-point masterpiece is finally getting the respect it was owed
For whatever it is worth to Lakers fans, Kobe Bryant was right behind Doncic at second place. Adebayo's 83-point onslaught only ranked 11th.
The truly remarkable thing about Doncic being first, though, is just how different the dialogue was when the former Dallas Mavericks superstar notched his 73 points. Luka shot a ridiculous 25-of-33 from the field and only had 15-of-16 from the free throw line. It was somehow bashed all the same.
The talking heads were yelling about the poor defense from the Atlanta Hawks. It was allegedly 'a layup line' for Luka, despite 32 percent, nearly a third, of his field goal makes coming from beyond the arc. Discussions circulated around what the league had done to make scoring easy. It was anything but giving Doncic his props for a sensational individual performance.
It is remarkable to now see those narratives flipping. Considering how bombarded Doncic continues to get, it is refreshing to finally see hindsight work in his favor.
Granted, it would be all the better to prop up a player in the moment and help celebrate a legendary achievement. Better late than never, sure. Never being late is always better, though.