Celtics' Jayson Tatum Praises Bam Adebayo's 83-Point Game

Tatum calls Adebayo's historic performance "something that'll be in history forever"

Mar. 15, 2026 at 9:50am

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Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum reacted positively to Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo scoring a record-breaking 83 points against the Washington Wizards earlier this week, calling it "something that'll be in history forever" despite Adebayo being a rival player. Tatum's Celtics also defeated the Wizards 111-100 on Saturday, with Tatum himself putting up 20 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists in 32 minutes of action.

Why it matters

Tatum's comments show a level of sportsmanship and respect for historic individual achievements, even when they come from a rival player. This speaks to the competitive but friendly nature of the NBA's top stars. Tatum's own strong performance also demonstrates the Celtics' continued success this season as they push towards the playoffs.

The details

In the Celtics' 111-100 win over the Wizards, Tatum logged a season-high 32 minutes and recorded 20 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. Teammate Neemias Queta led the Celtics with 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting, while Luka Garza added 15 points off the bench. The Celtics improved to 44-23 on the season with the victory, completing a 3-0 season sweep of the struggling Wizards.

  • The Celtics beat the Wizards 111-100 on Saturday, March 15, 2026.
  • Bam Adebayo scored 83 points against the Wizards on Tuesday, March 11, 2026.

The players

Jayson Tatum

A star player for the Boston Celtics who praised his rival Bam Adebayo's historic 83-point performance.

Bam Adebayo

A player for the Miami Heat who scored 83 points in a game against the Washington Wizards, setting a new NBA record.

Jaylen Brown

A Celtics player who also defended Adebayo's 83-point game on Twitch, saying "Records are meant to be broken" and that the criticism should be directed at the Wizards' defense.

Neemias Queta

A Celtics player who led the team with 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting in the win over the Wizards.

Luka Garza

A Celtics player who contributed 15 points off the bench in the win over the Wizards.

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What they’re saying

“Super happy for him. He plays for the other team, so he's an enemy most of the time. But that's something that'll be in history forever.”

— Jayson Tatum

“Records are meant to be broken. I think two things can be true. You can look at the facet in which it was broken and complain, and you can also just acknowledge the fact that Bam Adebayo was having a great game and he did exactly what he was supposed to do. I don't see why there needs to be any criticism. If anybody deserves the criticism, it's the Washington Wizards.”

— Jaylen Brown

What’s next

The Celtics will host the Phoenix Suns on Monday, March 17, 2026 as they continue their push towards the playoffs.

The takeaway

Tatum and Brown's comments demonstrate the mutual respect and sportsmanship among the NBA's top players, even when they are rivals on the court. Adebayo's historic 83-point game has cemented his place in league history, while the Celtics continue to thrive with Tatum leading the way.