There’s been a lot of noise around Bam Adebayo putting up 83 points and passing Kobe Bryant’s iconic mark.
I’ve seen people saying he should’ve checked out of the game. That it was disrespectful. That some records shouldn’t be touched.
As someone who started watching basketball because of Kobe back in 1997, I completely disagree.
Records are not meant to be protected. They are meant to be chased.
That’s the foundation of competition.
Kobe’s 81 stood for 20 years. That’s not something fragile. That’s dominance. That’s a standard that lasted across eras. But honoring that doesn’t mean freezing the game in time. It means understanding how great you have to be to even get close.
And if we’re being honest about who Kobe was, the idea that he would want someone to stop scoring to protect his legacy doesn’t line up at all. Kobe respected killers. He respected competitors. If anything, he would’ve appreciated the effort it took to even be in that position.
Now let’s be real about something. Do I think this performance was better than Kobe’s 81? No. Not even close.
Kobe’s game came in a different era. The game was more physical. Spacing was tighter. The offense wasn’t built to create easy scoring opportunities the way it is now.
Today’s game is built for scoring. The defensive three-second rule opened up the lane. The floor is spaced with shooters. Bigs can handle the ball, step out, and shoot from deep. Once you beat your defender, there’s often nothing standing between you and the basket.
That doesn’t take anything away from Bam’s 83. It just puts it into proper context.
But the real issue isn’t Bam.
It’s the defense.
At some point, pride has to kick in. You cannot let one player score 83 points on you. Double him. Trap him. Force the ball out of his hands. Make someone else beat you.
That’s the part people should be talking about.
Telling a player to sit down to preserve someone else’s legacy goes against everything competition stands for. You don’t honor greatness by limiting effort. You honor it by matching it.
And if the game continues to trend the way it is right now, this won’t be the last time we see something like this. With the pace, spacing, and skill level across all positions, even Wilt Chamberlains 100-point record may not be untouchable forever.
Kobe’s legacy was never just about 81 points. It was about mentality. Relentless. Ruthless. Unapologetically competitive.
If we really respect that, then we should respect players who go out there and chase greatness at the highest level.
Not ask them to stop when they get too close.
Editorial comments expressed in this column are the sole opinion of the writer
