Adebayo duly eclipsed that record late in the fourth quarter. Two free throws saw him draw level with Bryant’s total, and two more took him to 83 with just over a minute remaining.
That was the cue for Adebayo to be subbed out, leaving the court to a standing ovation from a disbelieving home crowd at Miami’s Kaseya Centre.
“Man, I wish I could relive it twice,” Adebayo said, saying his individual masterpiece would not have been possible without the support of family, fans and his teammates.
“Somebody had to pass me the ball. I appreciate coach for drawing up plays for me and I got it going tonight.”
Adebayo admitted he had sensed a historic performance was beckoning after his first-half display, ranking it as the high point of his career.
“This is number one, for sure,” Adebayo said.
He also took special satisfaction at surpassing his boyhood idol Bryant’s mark of 81.
‘Surreal moment’
“It’s Wilt, me and then Kobe – that sounds crazy," Adebayo said, adding that he had reflected on how Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles in 2020, would have responded to his performance.
“To me, it’s wondering what he would say,” Adebayo said. “My mind is like ‘What would he say to me?’ Because I’ve always wanted to have a conversation with him.
“He’d probably say ‘Do it again’. Just a surreal moment being in the company of somebody you idolised growing up.”
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra described Adebayo’s virtuoso display as “just an absolutely surreal night”.
“We’ve been blessed to have been a part of a lot of big moments in this arena, and this one, it just happened,” Spoelstra said.
“I’m grateful that we were all able to witness it.”
Spoelstra said Miami had sought to stick to their game plan during Adebayo’s 43-point first half, but gradually pivoted towards helping him chase a historic total.
“At halftime, we talked about continuing to play our game,” Spoelstra said. “In the second half, I was a little bit more intentional trying to get him some touches.
“I would say once he got to 50, then we’re thinking, all right, let’s maybe get to 60. Then when he got to 60, just keep going. Might as well go for 70.
“I didn’t even dare think about taking him out of the game at that point. We just kept going.
“I wanted him to have a moment with the crowd to really enjoy this historic night in front of all the fans.
“So I didn’t stop until he got to Kobe’s [record].”
While the 28-year-old Adebayo is best known as one of the NBA’s most versatile defensive players, rather than a prolific scorer, Spoelstra said his fireworks were attributable to his work ethic.
“Look at the company he’s with right now – the absolute greats of the game," Spoelstra said. “It’s an absolute credit to his relentless will and work ethic.
“He’s willed himself and worked himself into being a premier offensive talent in this league.”
– Agence France-Presse
