Charles Barkley, Shaq weigh in on Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game

Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo scored 83 points on Tuesday night vs the Washington Wizards, the second-most points in a game in NBA history. The 83 points topped the 81-point mark from Kobe Bryant in a 2006 game and ranked only behind the 100 points scored by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962. But rather than celebrating someone scoring 83 points, much of the response from the NBA world has downplayed the performance and criticized some tactics that aided Adebayo’s chase.

On Saturday’s ESPN on ABC coverage of NBA basketball, the Inside the NBA crew weighed in on Adebayo’s 83-point game.

Shaquille O’Neal, a legendary NBA center and teammate of Bryant’s for eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers (1996-2oo4), supported Adebayo doing what it took to make modern NBA history.

“I’m happy for Bam,” O’Neal explained. “31 in the first quarter. You hear all the people complain, ‘Well, he shot 40 free throws.’ Well, stop fouling, Washington Wizards.”

“To all the little kids out there, if you’ve got a chance to break a record, your high school record, and you got a chance to make history, go for it,” O’Neal explained. “I’m glad he went for it. I’m glad he got the 83. And I’m happy for Bam.”

Shaq on Bam Adebayo: “To all the little kids out there, if you’ve got a chance to break a record, your high school record, and you got a chance to make history, go for it. I’m glad he went for it. I’m glad he got the 83. And I’m happy for Bam.” #NBA pic.twitter.com/P6IK1femk7

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 15, 2026

But O’Neal supported the sentiment from Barkley that Adebayo is “lucky” he’s playing in this era and not the 1990s when Barkley and O’Neal starred in the NBA.

Charles Barkley on Bam Adebayo: “He is so lucky he’s playing in 2026. Because he would’ve knocked him on his ass. We would’ve killed him back in the day…” #NBApic.twitter.com/9m0W0zNZEx https://t.co/Ib7ujKHKbQ

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 15, 2026

“He is so lucky that he’s playing in 2026,” Barkley explained. “Because we would’ve knocked him on his ass.”

“Exactly,” O’Neal agreed.

“We would’ve killed him back in the day,” Barkley continued.

“Exactly,” O’Neal said.

“Ernie, in my day, if you’re up 20 and shoot a three, we’re going to put your ass in the stands,” Barkley told Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson. “That was like an unwritten rule.”

Barkley admitted that he had “some problems” with the highlights of the fourth quarter, which featured the Heat intentionally fouling the Wizards and intentionally missing free throws in an effort to help Adebayo reach 83 points.

“I’m going to give him a pass, because I love Bam,” Barkley said.

Charles and Kenny Smith on Bam 83

Barkley: I love Bam and he does everything right but then they showed the highlights. I’m like yo man I have some problems with it. Imma give him a pass because I love Bam but some of that stuff in the 4th quarter

Kenny: OK THEN STOP HIM. I… https://t.co/jGrsOYJr4n pic.twitter.com/VRkNrxECVO

— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) March 15, 2026

And O’Neal and Barkley are each “disgusted” by the Wizards.

Charles Barkley: “I’m disgusted by the Wizards. As a competitor, you’ve got to go dirty.

Shaq: “Thank you. Disgusted.”

Barkley: “As a competitor, you’ve got to go dirty…” #NBA pic.twitter.com/3AVW9GvRks

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 15, 2026

“I’m disgusted by the Wizards,” Barkley said.

“Thank you,” O’Neal replied. “Disgusted.”

“As a competitor, you’ve got to go dirty,” Barkley continued.

“When you’re down 20, and the game is over, and now a team is like, ‘Just go for the record,’ you’re disrespecting me,” Barkley explained. “I thought the Wizards, who have got no pride whatsoever; obviously they’re tanking, but you still got to have pride. If a guy’s doing that, you’ve got to knock him on his ass.”

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra recently called out critics of the performance and said, “I apologize to absolutely no one.”

And during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show on Friday, Adebayo said that the criticism is because he doesn’t fit the “agenda.”

“I wasn’t part of the ‘agenda,’” Adebayo said. “It shocked the world because it wasn’t somebody who they glorify as a scorer, as somebody who can get that record.”