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**The Athletic: Bam Adebayo is my teammate. Nobody deserves this 83-point game more than him**
Heat forward Keshad Johnson shares his thoughts on playing alongside Bam Adebayo during his 83-point performance.
**Keshad Johnson, The Athletic**
**March 12, 2026 10:15 PM**
Bam Adebayo scored 83 points on Tuesday night, the second most in NBA History.
*Editor’s Note: Read more NBA coverage from The Athletic here. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its teams. This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here.*
Keshad Johnson is a 24-year-old forward for the Miami Heat who won the 2026 NBA slam dunk contest. On Tuesday against the Wizards, he played 19 minutes in the game when teammate Bam Adebayo scored 83 points, the second most in NBA history.
Tuesday night was crazy. I was out there on the court with Bam Adebayo as he scored 83 points, but it also felt like I was watching a movie. Although I was present in the moment, I was almost having an out-of-body experience with him. I was watching history right before my eyes.
Once he had 31 points in the first quarter, I knew: Something crazy is going to happen tonight. By halftime, he had his career high (43 points). I didn’t want to be in his ear too much. I didn’t want to jinx anything. But I was still telling him during the game: “Keep going. We’re not done. What’s next?” And it wasn’t just me; it was everybody. As teammates, we were trying to do whatever it took to allow him to have his moment.
He had 31 in the first quarter. What’s next? Let’s break another record. He broke LeBron’s team record of 61 points. OK, what’s next? Let’s break another record.
I usually sit next to him on the bench during games, and there have been games in the past where he’s told me: “I’m going for 40 tonight.” So he knows how good he is, and we all know how good he is, but I don’t think a lot of people really understand how significant Bam is to our team, our organization. Everything he does doesn’t show up on a stat sheet.
I’m sure Bam is aware that his game sometimes gets overlooked, but I feel like that’s something he’s able to understand and look at maturely. Bam knows he can go out there and be a 30-point-per-game scorer, but he knows his role for this team is bigger than that. He does whatever it takes, whatever his team needs: on the defensive end, rebounding, all of that. That’s who Bam is.
As a teammate, he’s what you want as a leader. No matter who it is — a vet or a rookie — Bam holds everybody accountable if they’re slacking. Bam is the guy who will get on anybody, and he will own up to his own mistakes as well. But most importantly, he leads by example. He’s gonna run through the wall first before he tells you to run through it. You can put Bam on any team in any league possible, and you would respect him by the end of the game.
I’ve learned a lot from Bam the last few years. I’m always in his ear, just asking him about the game. I play the same position as him, so I’m always just trying to learn from him. Bam goes out there with the same mentality every game: whatever it takes. That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned from him: stay selfless and do whatever it takes. Whether the points show it or not, his presence is felt every night. We all feed into Bam.
After the game on Tuesday, the vibes were high in the locker room. The energy. It was all smiles everywhere. For us young guys, we were just glad to be in the presence of greatness. During the whole game, he wasn’t really expressive emotionally. He was staying even-keeled; that’s who he is. Bam is level-headed with everything, and he’s a workhorse every single day.
In my opinion, nobody deserves this more than him. I’ve consistently been in one-on-one workouts with Bam. I know how hard he works. I know what he puts into the game. I’ve watched it firsthand. That’s why he’s the leader. That’s why he’s the cap. To see the results, I’m just glad he’s the person who received the blessing.
— As told to Jayson Jenks
***
**By: Keshad Johnson**
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The Athletic: Bam Adebayo Is My Teammate — No One Deserved This 83-Point Game More Than Him
