Even days after ‘s 83-point outing, the star’s former AAU coach, Ty White, is stuck in a wild mental dichotomy as he ponders the historic night.
Yes, he’s shocked that the 6-foot-9 center finished with the mind-boggling stat line, but not because he didn’t think he was capable.
It’s just that 83 points is, well, 83 points!
“I mean, it’s so crazy to think that anyone could score that many points in an NBA game,” said White, director of Team Loaded. “But in retrospect, the kid was always a super athlete who always had a nose for the basketball. I wasn’t even watching the game live, so many people started texting me saying, ‘Bam Bam Bam!'”
Adebayo’s 83 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks came in a win over the on Tuesday night. He went 7-of-22 from 3 and set an NBA record for most free throws made (36) and attempted (43).
Prior to the game, Adebayo’s career high was 41 points.
Adebayo’s 83 points were the second-most points scored in a game in NBA history, trailing only ‘s legendary 100-point outing in 1962.
83 points. The bucket that made HISTORY
White said that, aside from Adebayo’s overwhelming athleticism, he had the innate ability to “do something to ‘wow’ you every game” during his playing days with Team Loaded.
“That was without fail,” White said. “He would do something that would make you just scratch your head at how he was able to do that. We were the most exciting team in the country to watch, and it was mostly because of him.”
White pointed to Adebayo’s development as a scorer over the years, going from a powerful athlete to a meticulously skilled scorer.
“When he was with me, he was more of a lob threat, drop-off guy,” White said. “Now, he’s initiating offense and he’s one of the most versatile players in the league. The way he’s evolved as a player is just unreal.”
That said, White’s amazement at the point total is understandable — Adebayo’s career high with Team Loaded was just 30 points. He averaged 25 points and 15 rebounds a game.
“Eighty-three is just wild, I don’t care who you are,” White said. “He’s got to just believe the sky is the limit after that. His confidence has to be at an all-time high right now and rightfully so. People can say what they want, but at the end of the day he’s No. 2 behind Wilt with 83, and nobody can take that away.”
