Ex-NBA Champion Thanks Bam Adebayo For Bringing Solution to NBA’s ‘Tanking’ Problem

Iman Shumpert had a different view to Bam Adebayo's 83-point game which could benefit the NBA.

Ex-NBA Champion Thanks Bam Adebayo For Bringing Solution to NBA’s ‘Tanking’ Problem

Iman Shumpert on Bam Adebayo's 83-point game (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Bam Adebayo scored 83 points in a game against the Washington Wizards, breaking Kobe Bryant's record.
  • Iman Shumpert praised Adebayo's performance as a way to combat tanking in the NBA.
  • Critics have questioned the legitimacy of Adebayo's achievement, citing game tactics and the Wizards' poor defense.

It has been almost a week since Bam Adebayo took the NBA world by storm. Last Tuesday, Adebayo and the Miami Heat took on the Washington Wizards at the Kaseya Center. No one would have imagined that the game would be the biggest talking point of the 2025-26 campaign as Adebayo scored 83 points on the night.

Former NBA champion Iman Shumpert had a different perspective on Bam Adebayo’s record-breaking achievement. On his latest ESPN appearance, Shumpert weighed in on the impact of his performance and why he loved it.

We keep talking about how we’re going to stop tanking, this is how you stop the tanking. Thank you Bam for doing that. Put your foot on the gas, slit somebody’s throat. You don’t want to put your best foot forward? We’re going to put you right in the dirt. That’s exactly what Bam went and did. He was in murder mode from the jump and I love It!

Iman Shumpert on Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game

Iman Shumpert has never formally announced his retirement and has not played in the NBA since the 2020-21 campaign. Since his 12-year NBA career ended, he has launched his own podcast and is often seen on various basketball shows.

Bam Adebayo‘s historic night against the Wizards split the NBA world. Despite the impressive feat and cementing a place for himself in the record books, it was sadly not all praises for the Heat center. Some downplayed the feat for the manner in which he broke Kobe Bryant’s 81-point record, while some were left unimpressed as it came against a struggling Wizards.

However, Shumpert believes that a performance like that would help in preventing tanking. Tanking is an issue that has had NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s hands full for a while now. Last month, the NBA took action and fined the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers over tanking. It remains to be seen whether Adebayo’s performance will have an impact on teams looking to tank in the future.

Iman Shumpert calls out NBA players who have an issue with Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game

It is unfortunate that the NBA world is split over an achievement. While some of it is understandable, at the end of the day, it was a performance for history books and will be spoken about for years to come.

Bam Adebayo with his mother after his 83-point performance
Bam Adebayo with his mother after his 83-point performance (Image via Heat Nation/X)

Iman Shumpert had a few words for all the critics of Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game on ESPN.

Anybody with a negative reaction of Bam breaking that record, is somebody who wants to know if they can score 85… We watch records be broken all the time. The only way to break a record like 81 is to shoot enough, and he did…. My hat goes off to him, they can’t take it away from you Bam. You are 2nd only to Wilt Chamberlain. Anybody that has something to say, tell them to score 85.

Iman Shumpert on ESPN

It is good to see former players such as Shumpert giving credit where it is due. While there will be critics and slander, it does not diminish Adebayo’s achievement. For now, he is the highest scorer in a match in the modern era and second to only Wilt Chamberlain all-time.

Bam Adebayo responds to his critics

Bam Adebayo has been the talk of the town in the NBA for a week now, and it has not slowed down. The 28-year-old’s performance came out of nowhere, and the criticism against it is primarily revolved around the record free-throw attempts and late-game tactics to give Adebayo the ball to score.

Following all the criticism, Adebayo finally broke his silence on the controversy.

You’re blaming me. You should be blaming the head coach. I was not the one who let me go one on one the whole game until I had 70 then you sent the double. At that point, I had 70 with 9 mins to go. You think I’m not going for it? A lot of people, they’re upset. If they did play, they never got the chance to get that close to chasing greatness. If you get that close, that’s the point of chasing it, so you can surpass it.

Bam Adebayo to the media

It is unfair to blame the player who went on to create history. If anyone should be blamed, it should be the Washington Wizards for their poor defense and game plans.

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