Bam Adebayo Says 'I Don't Give a F--k' About Critics of 83-Point Game, 'I'm a Kobe Fan'

Miami Heat star center Bam Adebayo isn't backing down from critics of his historic 83-point performance in a win over the Washington Wizards last season.

During an appearance on the Makeshift Podcast, Adebayo made it clear that he was attempting to surpass Kobe Bryant's iconic 81-point game.

"I went for it. I knew exactly what I was doing," Adebayo said. "I don't know how to say this without sounding explicit: I don't give a f--k about what anybody negative has to say about it

"I idolized Kobe Bryant," he continued. "In my mind, I'm like, 'I got 70 with nine minutes left.' So I had a decision to make at that point like, 'Yeah, Spo can really check me out right now, or I can go for it.' And I'm like, 'I'm going for it!' I knew exactly where I was at the moment. I'm dog tired, but I'm going for it."

The Wizards finished with the worst record in the NBA last season at 17-65, so it's fair to wonder whether Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra showed poor sportsmanship by leaving Adebayo in the game to beat up on such a lowly team.

While Adebayo said he knew he would face criticism for setting a new mark for the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, he said he couldn't pass up the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"I was like, 'I may never get this chance again,'" he said. "People were like, 'Man, you should've stopped at 81!' Why? So y'all can never mention me? I already know how Kobe fans are. I'm a Kobe fan!"