Bam Adebayo’s 83-Point Game Sparks Collector Frenzy

Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game drew derision on social media, in media outlets, and even from NBA coaches—but his historic scoring explosion sparked an immediate surge in the collectibles market, and experts say criticism will fade.

Adebayo’s performance against the Wizards on Tuesday represents the second-highest single-game scoring output in NBA history, behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game and just ahead of Kobe Bryant’s 81. The Heat center shot 20-43 from the field (46.5%), including 7-22 from three (31.8%), and made 36 of 43 free throws—a record for both free throws made and attempted.

Critics pointed to the fact that the game was against the Wizards, who have been criticized for tanking, that Adebayo took so many threes, and that he put in significant effort to surpass Bryant, who tragically passed away in 2020. The Athletic ran a story titled “Why Bam Adebayo and the Heat should have stopped at matching Kobe Bryant’s 81 points,” while Andscape was headlined “Bam Adebayo does not belong above Kobe Bryant.” 

Rockets head coach Ime Udoka downplayed the accomplishment, saying his more than 40 free throws “tells the story” and noting it took place against the Wizards. Lakers coach JJ Reddick said the last few minutes, when the Heat took pains to make sure Adebayo got another bucket—including by committing intentional fouls—“was a different type of basketball.” 

Despite the shade being thrown at Adebayo, he has received plenty of interest in potential new marketing and sponsorship opportunities. “There has been a lot of incoming interest but nothing materializes that quickly,” his agent, Alexandros Saratsis, tells Front Office Sports. 

Money Talks

Collectors do not care about the emotional reactions to the historic evening. By Wednesday afternoon, there had been a surge in interest for Adebayo items, and prices were skyrocketing. The person who owns the most expensive Adebayo card in public auction history—which went for about $11,655 in 2024—listed the card on eBay for $1 million (or best offer), reported Will Stern, head of memorabilia strategy at Darren Rovell’s sports collectibles media platform Cllct.

Brett McGrath, host of the collectibles-focused podcast Stacking Slabs, tells FOS “a performance like this instantly becomes part of NBA history, and that creates a short-term surge in demand.” 

“In all of 2025, Bam had 19 cards sell for $1,000 or more,” McGrath says. “In the 24 hours after the 83-point game, he’s already had 21 sales over $1,000.”

Rovell reported that Adebayo will keep the jersey he wore during the game, but if other items from the game become available—sneakers, his headband, a game ball—the backlash will not make a dent in their value, Stern says.

“The manner in which he did it—free throws, tanking Wizards, etc.—does not really matter,” Stern says. “The number 83 is the story, and if anything were to come to market from the game, that is the only thing that will be needed to market it.”

It’s not yet clear whether any items from Adebayo’s game will end up at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. A representative for the Hall of Fame tells FOS the organization has reached out to the Heat about procuring items from the game, but it’s “too early to tell.” “Turnaround time takes weeks, sometimes months.” A representative for the Heat says “it hasn’t been determined yet what will be sent.”

The Hall of Fame does have items from both Bryant and Chamberlain: sneakers Bryant wore in his 81-point performance are on display at the Hall of Fame, and the 76ers previously donated a portion of the court on which Chamberlain’s 100-point game took place to the Hall of Fame.

How Will Adebayo Items Compare to Bryant?

Adebayo bested Bryant by two points, but his memorabilia, including any items from the game itself, are unlikely to surpass the value of high-profile Bryant collectibles and items from his 81-point outburst.

“It’s important to note how much Kobe means to collectors,” Stern says. “However powerful ‘Mamba Mentality’ is among NBA fans, multiply it by 1,000 for collectors.”

He adds that there’s a “real argument” Bryant rivals Michael Jordan “as far as collectability of his game-worn memorabilia, particularly at the high end.”

“Given that, and Bam’s comparative lack of collector base, the gulf between value for the two games is much wider than one may think,” Stern tells FOS.

McGrath agrees, saying “the ceiling is obviously different from Kobe’s 81-point game. Kobe sits in the all-time legend tier, so memorabilia and cards from that night carry historical weight that compounds over time.”

Adebayo collectibles may never surpass the value of Bryant-related items, but the overnight increase in value for Adebayo cards shows that “collectors love attaching themselves to historical milestones, even when the player isn’t one of the hobby’s biggest stars,” McGrath says.

“The immediate takeaway is clear: collectors rush to buy when history happens—even if the player isn’t a generational icon,” he tells FOS.

—Colin Salao contributed reporting.