[Saba Sports News] On July 16, Miami Heat star Bam Adebayor attended the ESPY Awards. During an interview segment, he was asked whether he intended to compete for the Best Single‑Game Performance award and how he would campaign for votes if so.
In response, Adebayor brought up the late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. He remarked that everyone is a Kobe fan, and it felt truly special to have his name mentioned alongside Kobe’s after accomplishing something few people could achieve. Adebayor stated with pride that he scored 83 points in an NBA game, surpassing Kobe’s famous 81‑point haul to become the player with the second‑highest single‑game total in NBA history.
Records show Adebayor put up 83 points in a regular‑season victory against the Washington Wizards last March. He made 20 out of his 43 field‑goal attempts, including 7‑of‑22 from three‑point range and 36‑of‑43 from the free‑throw line. Unfortunately, Adebayor did not win the prize in the end; baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani was the recipient.
In my view, Bam Adebayor put himself forward for the 2026 ESPY Award for Best Single‑Game Performance by citing his 83‑point game that outdid Kobe’s record. It represented self‑assurance built upon genuine statistics. Even though he lost out, his self‑nomination falls in line with common practices for such awards. The only controversy stems from claims that he padded his points by means of deliberate game‑plan‑enabled stat‑chasing during that contest.