Damian Lillard jokingly says he's the reason behind Bam Adebayo's 83-point masterclass originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Bam Adebayo is the biggest headline in the NBA on Tuesday night, as he scored 83 points in the game between the Miami Heat and the Washington Wizards. It is the highest-scoring game of the modern era, two more than Kobe Bryant.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt was one of the best performances in NBA history, as Adebayo was locked in from the first quarter. He had 31 points in the first 12 minutes, and he kept dominating with his scoring.
Lillard believes he had something to do with Adebayo's 83-point game
This performance made headlines worldwide, but Adebayo's friend, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, had fun with it. He was at Moda Center watching the Blazers play, but he heard about Adebayo's performance in Miami.
Considering Lillard once scored 71 points, he has experience with an absurd performance. He and Adebayo are close friends, so the superstar guard had fun talking to Chris Haynes on the NBA TV broadcast about the 83-point game.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMORE: The reason behind Adebayo's nickname sticking with him
Lillard has always been a big Adebayo fan, as evidenced by his desire to play for the Heat during the debacle in 2023. Of course, Lillard got traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he played for two seasons.
Now, he is back home in Portland, where he is resting to play ahead of his comeback in the 2026-27 season. Despite his distance, Lillard keeps up with what happened with Adebayo on Tuesday.
"Man, he passed a bunch of people, not just me. I taught that boy Bam everything he knows. And he's been training with A'ja (Wilson). A'ja been putting that work in," Lillard said on the NBA TV broadcast.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt is a bit of a joke, but Adebayo has definitely improved his game over the years. In the past, he was exclusively a rim runner, but as evidenced by his 83-point night, he can consistently hit three-pointers now.
Considering they are always linking up, Lillard probably has a bit of an influence with his three-point prowess. However, it looks like Bam has some bragging rights now for having the second-highest points total in NBA history.
More NBA news:
The comparison between Bam Adebayo's 83 with Kobe Bryant's 81
The full stats behind Bam Adebayo's 83-point night
Bam Adebayo's career high before scoring 83 points
Bam Adebayo broke a record during his 83-point night
The Heat look to capitalize on their momentum with recent winning streak
