Washington, 11 March 2026 (dpa/MIA) - Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo scored 83 points in a single basketball game on Tuesday, moving past Kobe Bryant's career high and recording the second-highest scoring performance in NBA history.

The 28-year-old powered the Heat to a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards. Adebayo had already racked up 62 points after three quarters, surpassing the previous season-high well before the final buzzer.

Only Wilt Chamberlain has scored more points in an NBA game, when he famously recorded 100 in 1962. Bryant had held second place with 81 points.

Adebayo had tears in his eyes as he embraced his mother after the game, having watched her son's performance from the stands.

The Miami player also set two free-throw records, going to the line 43 times and converting 36 attempts. Dwight Howard had previously held the record with 39 attempts, while Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley had long shared the NBA mark with 28 made free throws in a game.

Photo: EPA