Bam Adebayo and other elite fantasy basketball stats
Miami Heat Center Bam Adebayo made history Tuesday with a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards. After scoring 31 points in the first quarter, a franchise record for points in a quarter, he also broke the Heat’s record for points in a half with 43.
By the end of the night, Adebayo had amassed 83 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks and seven 3-pointers. Shooting 20 of 43 from the field and 36 of 43 from the foul line, Bam became the first player in league history to record at least 22 three-point attempts and 30 free throws in the same game, and his 36 points from the foul line were also a league record.
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Obviously, Wilt Chamberlain he is the only player in league history to score multiple points in a game, having put up 100, but Adebayo is now second on that list, surpassing Kobe Bryantagainst the Toronto Raptors. Obviously, Adebayo’s fantasy stats were elite, but what were some other great nights in the history of fantasy basketball? Let’s take a look at some other nights that would, or have, set the fantasy basketball world alight.
Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets (March 10, 1987 vs. Seattle)
In the 1980s fantasy basketball may not have been the industry it is today, but Olajuwon was one of the players from that era who would have been an elite option no matter the league format. On March 10, 1987, the Hall of Fame center produced a statistic the likes of which hadn’t been seen since. Shooting 14-of-29 from the field and 10-of-14 from the foul line, Olajuwon finished the double-overtime loss with a stat line that included a staggering 19 defensive contributions. He finished with 38 points, 17 rebounds, six assists, seven steals and 12 blocks.
Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls (March 28, 1990 vs. Cleveland)
Considered by many to be the greatest of all time, Jordan could supplement high-scoring nights with excellent production across the stat line. Such was the case in the March 1990 overtime loss to the Cavaliers. Shooting 23 of 37 from the field and 21 of 23 from the foul line, Jordan scored 69 points while also recording 18 rebounds, six assists, four steals, one block and two 3-pointers. Additionally, he was responsible for just two turnovers while playing 50 of a possible 53 minutes.
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David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs (February 17, 1994 vs. Detroit)
Shooting 12 of 20 from the field and 10 of 17 from the foul line, “The Admiral” recorded a 34-point quadruple-double in a win over the Pistons. In 43 minutes he also had 10 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and 10 blocks. No fantasy manager would complain about free throws after a performance of this caliber.
Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (January 22, 2006 vs. Toronto)
The man whose scoring total Adebayo eclipsed on Tuesday, Bryant’s 81 points against the Raptors remain the stuff of legend. And it didn’t matter who defended him during that match. Playing 42 minutes, Bryant shot 28 of 46 from the field and 18 of 20 from the foul line. In addition to his 81 points, Kobe had six rebounds, two assists, three steals, one block and seven three-pointers. Clearly, there have been more robust fantasy stat lines. But scoring 81 points efficiently can make up for that.
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James Harden, Houston Rockets (December 31, 2016 vs. New York)
While Harden has four 60-point games under his belt, those performances fall short. What made the cut was the triple-double he recorded in the win over the Knicks on the final day of 2016. Shooting 14 of 26 from the field and 18 of 20 from the foul line, Harden scored 53 points while also recording 16 rebounds and 17 assists. He recorded no steals or blocked balls and there were also eight turnovers, but on some nights the production is too good to pass up.
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder (March 29, 2017 vs. Orlando)
During his 2016-17 MVP season, Westbrook recorded two 50-point triple-doubles in March. One was recorded during an overtime win over the Magic, with the point guard totaling 57 points (21 of 40 FGs, 9 of 11 FTs), 13 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and six 3-pointers. Like Harden, the turnover count was a little high for Westbrook that night, as he recorded seven. However, few will complain when the turnovers are part of a 50-point triple-double on efficient shooting percentages.
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Joel Embiid (November 13, 2022 vs. Utah)
“The Process” seemed determined to win Most Valuable Player from the start of the 2022-23 season, and he would achieve that goal. One of Embiid’s best performances, and best fantasy stats, came in the mid-November win over the Jazz. He shot 19 of 28 from the field and 20 of 24 from the foul line, posting 59 points, along with 11 rebounds, eight assists, one steal, seven blocks and a 3-pointer.
G Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks (December 27, 2022 vs. New York)
Dončić also put up some elite stats during the 2022-23 season. After scoring 50 points in a win over the Magic two days before Christmas, the then-Mavericks star did even better in an overtime win over the Knicks two days after the holiday. Shooting 21 of 31 from the field and 16 of 22 from the foul line, Dončić scored 60 points while also recording 21 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals, one block and two 3-pointers. And he played 47 of a possible 53 minutes.
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Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers (Jan. 2, 2023 vs. Chicago)
On the second day of 2023, Mitchell torched the Bulls with an 11-point overtime victory. In 50 minutes he scored 71 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists, one block and seven triples. Mitchell was efficient, shooting 22 of 34 from the field, including 15 of 19 from two, and 20 of 25 from the foul line. Like the other players on this list, Spida was unstoppable that night, to the delight of the fantasy managers who had him on their roster.
Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets (March 7, 2025 vs. Phoenix and April 1, 2025 vs. Minnesota)
Jokić boasts a long list of statistics that basketball fans can sift through to find some of his “greatest hits.” But these two games, played within a month of each other last season, stand out. In the early March win against the Suns, the three-time league MVP scored “only” 31 points but also recorded 21 rebounds, 22 points, three steals and three 3-pointers. Furthermore, Jokić only made three free throws that day.
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As for his April Fools’ Day masterclass against the Timberwolves, Jokić recorded his first, and to this point, only 60-point game. Shooting 18 of 29 from the field and 19 of 24 from the foul line, The Joker finished with 61 points while also recording 10 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and six 3-pointers. He is one of three players in league history to have a 60-point triple-double, along with Harden and Dončić.