The Most Unbreakable NBA Records: Does Bam Adebayo’s 83-Point Game Make Us Reconsider Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-Point Game as the Toughest?
Many NBA fans are still in shock and awe that Miami center Bam Adebayo was able to score 83 points, the second most in league history, in a game last Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards. That’s now the closest anyone has come to Wilt Chamberlain’s unthinkable NBA record of 100 points in a single game.
It might be one of the most improbable, historical performances of all time when you consider how it came out of nowhere from a player who is good but not exactly an all-time great.
When you factor in playoffs, there have been almost 60,000 NBA games played in history. With every game having 10 starters from the two teams, that’s well over half a million realistic opportunities for a player to score 75+ points, and yet it’s only been done by Wilt Chamberlain (78, 100), Kobe Bryant (81), and now Bam Adebayo (83).
That’s why Chamberlain’s 100-point NBA game remains one of sports’ most hallowed records. He did it on March 2, 1962, the same season he scored 78 points a few months prior to the 100-point game. No one has really come close to breaking that record, and what makes it extra legendary is the lack of video evidence that it happened. A lack of recordings from that era was common as games weren’t often televised like they are today.
That’s another reason why Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game from January 2006 resonated so much because we got to experience that one as it happened. The closest anyone has come to Kobe in the 20 years since was Luka Doncic with 73 points in a January 2024 game.
Until last Tuesday night when Adebayo made improbable history. Let’s look at his historic game, and let’s break down the most unbreakable NBA records when it comes to stat accumulation in a single game.
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Bam Adebayo’s Record Night
Bam Adebayo, who happens to be WNBA legend A’ja Wilson’s boyfriend, is a 3-time All-Star for the Heat, and he averaged 24.2 points per game in his previous six games going into last Tuesday night. But this scoring fest really came out of nowhere given his career high in a game was 41 points in 2021.
Granted, some stars aligned for this one. The Heat play the fastest pace in the NBA, and the Wizards are next to last in points per game allowed. Miami’s leading scorers Norman Powell (22.5) and Tyler Herro (21.5) were both out with injuries, so that paved the way for a big night from Bam that some saw coming:
But 83 points never seemed realistic until it happened:
- Adebayo came out blazing hot, scoring 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting in the first quarter.
- He scored 12 points in the second quarter to give him 43 at halftime.
- He kept drawing fouls to get free throws to get 19 points in the third quarter (62 for the game).
- While he shot 1-of-6 from deep in the fourth quarter, he was 14-of-16 at the free throw line to get 21 points and finish with 83 points.
- Bam Adebayo’s stats include 20-of-43 from the field (7-of-22 from 3) and 36-of-43 free throws.
- The 36 made free throws are an NBA record (Bob Cousy once had 30 in a 1953 playoff game that went to four overtimes).
- The 43 free throw attempts are an NBA record (Shaq and Dwight Howard had the old record with 39).
Naturally, some (read: Kobe fans) have instantly criticized Adebayo’s game for claims of stat-padding and dishonoring Kobe’s legacy.
Beyond fans on Twitter/X, even ESPN’s Charles Barkley took a shot at Adebayo and the Heat for the way he got to 83 points:
The Heat did purposely miss a free throw in an effort to get Adebayo a rebound and another basket. The Heat also took one intentional foul with 1:24 left in an effort to get Adebayo the ball back faster when he had 81 points. He surpassed Kobe with his last two free throws to get to 83 points before going to the bench with 1:08 left after the home crowd, including his mother, gave him some love.
But let the night Bam scored 83 serve as a reminder that anyone can have one historic game under the right circumstances. We could finally see the day, filmed in 4K, where an elite player scores 100 points.
I mention elite, because for all the nice things he’s done in Miami in his career, Adebayo is not an elite player. He wasn’t even on the Hall of Fame radar before this game, and I think that’s another reason the Kobe fans are so upset. There wouldn’t be this much outrage if someone truly great like Luka Doncic or Nikola Jokic or SGA scored 83. There also wouldn’t be this much outcry if the person surpassed with 81 points was Karl Malone (off-court history has spoiled reputation) or an old-school legend without a ring like Elgin Baylor. Bam happening at Kobe’s expense adds to the lore.
But it’s a game that really broke math as it’s just so out of the norm with the rest of Adebayo’s carer:
Adding to the hysterical legacy of this game, Bam went right back to scoring 21 and 20 points the next two games after 83 points. Imagine if he never even hits 30 the rest of the season. Just one unbelievable night, and as coach Ime Udoka of the Rockets subtly pointed out here, we should be blaming the Wizards too. Another team accused of tanking the season.
The Most Unbreakable NBA Records
In the NBA, there are six main statistics a player can accumulate in a game: Points, rebounds, assists, turnovers, steals, and blocks. There are also attempts and makes for the different kinds of shots (2P, 3P, FT), though we’re only going to concern ourselves today with made 3-point shots. Fouls also can range from 0-6 where you foul out on the sixth, so that’s no big deal record wise.
Let’s rank the six main stats plus a seventh category for made 3s in order of the easiest to hardest to break going forward in a league where possessions and scoring are up.
Note: We acknowledged playoff games too and are only going by official NBA records as stats for blocks, turnovers, and steals can be incomplete prior to the 1980s.
7. Made 3s – Klay Thompson (14)
- NBA Record: 14 by Klay Thompson on 10/29/2018, Warriors vs. Bulls
- Previous Record: 13 by Steph Curry on 11/7/2016 (tied by two others)
- Closest Since Record: Damian Lillard became the third player with 13 made 3s in a game on 2/26/2023.
Even though it usually takes a special 3-point shooter like Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, or Damian Lillard to make 3-point shots at this volume, this record is the most likely to fall because of how the game has changed in the last decade with a higher volume of deep shots. The league can thank (or criticize) the Warriors for this 3-point shot explosion.
But the fact of the matter is Brian Shaw was the first NBA player to make 10 3s in a game way back in 1993. No one hit 11 until Dennis Scott in 1996, and Kobe Bryant was the first to make 12 back in 2003. Donyell Marshall – now there’s a bigger outlier name than Adebayo – tied the record with 12 in 2005.
That record stood for over a decade. Then since 2016, we have seen a player make at least 12 3s a total of 13 times with Curry (5) and Thompson (3), the Splash Brothers, accounting for 8-of-13 instances as teammates.
But when players like Zach LaVine (13) and Trey Murphy (12) can get within the ballpark of 14, don’t be shocked when someone like rookie Kon Knueppel becomes the first player to make 15 3s in a game.
That’s just the evolution of the game.
6. Turnovers – John Drew/Jason Kidd (14)
- NBA Record: 14 (tie) by John Drew on 3/1/1978 and Jason Kidd on 11/17/2000
- Previous Record: 12 by many players
- Closest Since Record: Jason Kidd tied the record in 2000; Chris Mullin also had the only game with 13 turnovers in 1988
This is the record no one wants as turnovers are bad. In fact, that’s why a triple-double with 10+ turnovers shouldn’t count as a triple-double as no one sets out to accumulate turnovers.
John Drew was a 2-time All-Star who initially set the record with 14 turnovers in 1978, and Jason Kidd is the HOF guard who later tied it in 2000. The last time a player had even 12 turnovers was Giannis Antetokounmpo in an overtime game in Toronto in January 2023.
Teams stress ball security, but teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder stress ball pressure and forcing maximum turnovers with great hustle and active hands. While 15 turnovers is gross, I still think we’re likely to see someone make 15 3s before we see someone turn it over 15 times.
Still, it could certainly happen as the NBA flirts with faster paces and more possessions in games.
5. Steals – Larry Kenon/Kendall Gill (11)
- NBA Record: 11 (tie) by Larry Kenon on 12/26/1976 and Kendall Gill on 4/3/1999
- Previous Record: 10 by many players
- Closest Since Record: Kendall Gill tied the record in 1999; T.J. McConnell (Pacers) was the last to have 10 steals in March 2021.
This one has some staying power as getting a dozen steals in one game would be an absurd total. The first player we have to officially record 10 steals was the Logo, Mr. Jerry West, back in 1973. It’s been done 24 more times since, but that’s interesting that 22 of the 24 times were 10 steals as only our two record holders made it to 11.
I’ll be honest that I wasn’t that familiar with Larry Kenon or Kendall Gill. Kenon was an ABA star who set the steals record with 11 in just his first NBA season with the Spurs in 1976. Gill had huge steals numbers for the Nets in that 1998-99 season, topped off by tying the record with 11 in a game.
Alvin Robertson was actually a player with four games of 10 steals in 1986-90. The only other known player to have multiple games with double-digit steals was the great Clyde Drexler, who did it twice.
We could see 12 someday, but it’s definitely a tough feat. Still, there’s some reassurance it can happen when someone like T.J. McConnell is getting to 10 on pure grit. Would be funny if Alex Caruso (Thunder) is the player to get 12 but he probably doesn’t play enough minutes to ever do that.
4. Blocks – Elmore Smith (17)
- NBA Record: 17 by Elmore Smith on 10/28/1973, Lakers vs. Trail Blazers
- Previous Record: Elmore Smith had 14 blocks two days before he broke his own record with 17.
- Closest Since Record: Three players had 15 blocks (most recently: Shaquille O’Neal on 11/20/1993).
We’re getting into unbreakable/unofficial record territory now. You may have seen this Wilt Chamberlain meme graphic used before to signify the greatest stat line in NBA history in a very real game on March 18, 1968 where he allegedly had 53 points, 32 rebounds, 14 assists, 24 blocks, and 11 steals (which would tie the single-game record).
Just the 53/32/14 alone is an absurd triple-double. But the problem with this stat line is that stats like blocks and steals were not officially tracked in 1968. As fate would have it, the 1973-74 season was the first time blocks were officially tracked in the NBA. Chamberlain retired in 1973.
With blocks finally being recorded, it only took six games for new Laker and Wilt replacement Elmore Smith (“The Rejector”) to become the first player to officially record 10 blocks in a game in October 1973. Three days later, Smith broke his own record with 14 blocks. Two days after that, Smith broke the record for a third time that week with 17 blocks, which still stands today as the official record.
Given Smith averaged 4.9 blocks per game in that 1973-74 season and never averaged more than 3.1 blocks per game in any other season in his career, one has to wonder if there were still some kinks being ironed out in how these blocks were recorded and what actually should count.
Blocks are certainly a record that Chamberlain should have, and if he was truly getting numbers like 24 or 25 blocks in some games, then that might be his unbreakable record of them all. Alas, we only have to go on official data since 1973-74. It’s similar to the NFL and how sacks didn’t become official until 1982. So, the NBA record for blocks is 17 by Elmore Smith. Manute Bol was able to get 15 blocks twice in games in 1986-87, and a young Shaq was the last to hit 15 blocks in 1993.
This one likely falls on Victor Wembanyama, the best shot blocker of this era. He’s had two games with 10 blocks in 2024 already. But the fact is we haven’t seen 12 blocks since Hassan Whiteside in 2015. We haven’t seen 13 blocks since Shawn Bradley in 1998.
With the way teams are shooting 3s and not settling for contested shots in the paint/post-up as much, it might be impossible for Wemby or anyone to ever get 18 blocks.
3. Assists – Scott Skiles (30)
- NBA Record: 30 by Scott Skiles on 12/30/1990, Magic vs. Nuggets
- Previous Record: Kevin Porter had 29 assists on 2/24/1978.
- Closest Since Record: John Stockton had 28 assists two weeks after Skiles’ 30 game.
Have you noticed something that’s stood out so far? While Jason Kidd and Klay Thompson will share a place in the Hall of Fame, our record holders have really not been elite legends of the game.
- It’s Klay with the 3-point record instead of Steph Curry.
- It’s Kenon/Gill with the steals record instead of someone like John Stockton, Michael Jordan, Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, or Chris Paul.
- It’s Elmore Smith with the blocks record instead of Hakeem Olajuwon, Anthony Davis, David Robinson, Shaq, or Victor Wembanyama.
Then with assists, it’s little Scott Skiles with 30 assists instead of John Stockton, Steve Nash, or Magic Johnson. Just goes to show a single-game record can be done by just about anyone, and Skiles having the single-game assists record and only game with 30 assists is certainly crazier than Bam Adebayo scoring 83 points.
Another crazy thing about Skiles’ game is this was for the Magic before Shaquille O’Neal came to town. You could imagine a game where he’s going off on passes finished by the big man, but that wasn’t the case at all in December 1990 when Skiles exceeded his previous career high of 18 assists with a 30 piece against a Denver team that held him to 3 assists a month earlier. Skiles would also have 20 assists against Denver in March.
Skiles never had more than 21 assists in a game the rest of his career. He won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award for the 1990-91 season, and it was easily the peak of his career.
But assists are certainly an NBA stat that peaked in the olden days when games had more run-and-gun to them with the fastest pace. For example, Bob Cousy of the Celtics had 28 assists in a game in 1959 where Boston had 143 field goal attempts. By comparison, the 2025-26 Celtics, who play at the NBA’s slowest pace, attempted just 93 field goals in their last game against a Washington team that gave up 83 points to Bam last week.
Kevin Porter had 29 assists for the Nets in a game in 1978, then it was Skiles with 30 in 1990. A couple weeks later, Utah legend John Stockton had his career high with 28 assists, but since that surge by Skiles and Stockton that month, we’ve seen just seven performances with 24+ assists since 1992.
Russell Westbrook was the last player to have 24 assists in May 2021. Rajon Rondo is the last player with 25 assists in December 2017. No one has had more than 25 assists since Stockton’s 28 a mere 16 days after Skiles’ record of 30 assists.
Getting to 25 assists is only 83.3% of the way to 30 assists, yet that’s the best anyone has done in 35 years. It feels like a record someone should be able to break, but even a legend like Nikola Jokic has never had more than 22 assists.
Skiles’ record looks like it should continue to stand the test of time. What a random player to achieve it too.
2. Points – Wilt Chamberlain (100)
- NBA Record: 100 by Wilt Chamberlain on 3/2/1962, Warriors vs. Knicks
- Previous Record: 78 by Wilt Chamberlain on 12/8/1961 (same season).
- Closest Since Record: Bam Adebayo with 83 points on 3/10/2026
It is wild to think only four players have ever scored even 74 points in a game, and Wilt did it twice in the same season. Then it was Kobe’s 81 in 2006, then an unfathomable 83 from Adebayo last week as we detailed earlier.
Wilt took a staggering 63 field goal attempts (another single-game NBA record) in his game with 100 points. He was also 28-of-32 from the free throw line. His record has stood the test of time and its lore is heightened by that iconic picture of him holding the number 100 written on a piece of paper:
So, why isn’t it ranked as the No. 1 unbreakable NBA record for one game? That spot belongs to another Chamberlain game.
1. Rebounds – Wilt Chamberlain (55)
- NBA Record: 55 by Wilt Chamberlain on 11/24/1960, Warriors vs. Celtics
- Previous Record: Bill Russell had 51 rebounds on 2/5/1960
- Closest Since Record: Bill Russell had 49 rebounds on 3/11/1965
Before there was a 100-point game from Wilt Chamberlain, he had 55 rebounds in a 132-129 loss to Bill Russell’s Celtics in 1960. Chamberlain and Russell were men among boys in that era, and their size and skill advantages dominated the competition. Wilt had the records, Russell won the 11 rings on better teams.
But while it’s still realistic to envision someone going off and scoring 100 points in today’s game, especially after Bam scored 83, no one is going to sniff 55 rebounds. The game has changed too much. That’s why Wilt’s 55-rebound game is the most unbreakable NBA record for a single game.
There are 28 games in NBA history with 40+ rebounds:
- None of them occurred after 1970.
- Chamberlain (15) and Russell (11) accounted for 26 of the 28 games; Jerry Lucas (40 in 1964) and Nate Thurmond (42 in 1965) had the other two.
- Charles Barkley was the last player to have more than 31 rebounds in a game when he had 33 rebounds in November 1996.
- Moses Malone (37 rebounds on 2/9/1979) has the most rebounds in a game since 1970.
That means no one has even come within 60% of the record in the last 30 years, and no one has done better than 67.3% of the record in the last 56 years.
That’s because the record is never getting broken. Bill Russell set the bar high with 49 rebounds in 1957. Then he had 51 rebounds in February 1960 before Chamberlain broke the record nine months later with 55 rebounds. Even Wilt himself could never do better than 45 rebounds in another game in his career, and Russell’s 49 rebounds in 1965 was the closest anyone has come since, and that was over 60 years ago.
A number like 55 rebounds isn’t as round or sexy as 100 points, but it’s still the most unbreakable record in NBA history. And the rebound equivalent of Bam Adebayo scoring 83 points would be like if Clint Capela had 46 rebounds against the Wizards.
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