Every 81+ Point Game in NBA History

3 players in NBA history since 1946 have scored more than 80 points in a game. Wilt Chamberlain was the first one to do it against the Knicks in 1962. The problem is, there is no footage. So even though it most likely did happen, we don’t have 100% certainty. Before today, Kobe’s 81 point performance was considered one of if not the greatest single game performance from a player ever. It was the most points a player scored in a game on actual footage. Many people have brought up the idea of a player scoring more than 81 points but nobody thought it would actually happen. If there was going to be a player to do it, many thought it would be Curry, Lillard, Luka, Giannas, or Wemby. But on a random Tuesday night in March, Bam Adebayo did the absolute unthinkable. He did something that many people struggle to do in 2K with their mp. He beat Kobe’s 81 point performance. I never thought I would ever hear those words coming out of my mouth but here we are. Kobe’s 81 point game has been surpassed after 20 years. This is a day many NBA fans will remember for decades to come. What we just saw is something that most likely won’t happen for many, many years and thousands if not tens of thousands of nba games. Obviously the NBA is a lot different than it was 20 years ago, and we have seen more of these high scoring performances including Luka putting up 73 in 2024 and Lillard and Mitchell putting up 71 in 2023, but this was unobtainable. Kobe’s 81 point game was never supposed to be broken. But it was. By Bam freaking Adebayo of all players. If this game would’ve gone to overtime, who knows how much more points he would’ve had but I think he would’ve hit 90 which is just absurd to even say. I do not think an NBA player will ever put up 100 points but at the end of the day, I don’t think any of us thought that someone would reach 83. This is just so unbelievable.

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