Hot Take: Ethical Basketball

Thunk. Swish. Throughout the evening of March 10, these were the main sounds anyone in the Miami Heat’s arena could hear, along with the roar of applause with each dunk and free-throw. The Heat’s home game against the Washington Wizards was expected to be a run-of-the-mill beatdown. The Wizards were battling elimination from playoff contention, while the Heat were just fighting for a higher seed. However, that night was anything but normal.

Miami center Bam Adebayo was the only “star” representing the Heat, with Tyler Herro and Norman Powell both out with injuries. Adebayo, however, met that challenge with an outstanding performance. Up to that point, his career high in points was 41; he broke that in just the first half with 43 points.

And the scoring onslaught didn’t stop. Entering the final quarter, Adebayo had 62, with his eyes set on breaking Kobe Bryant’s 81, the then-second-most in NBA history. Adebayo finished the game with 83 points. 

Adebayo’s performance has received much criticism: the Heat consistently held a double-digit lead throughout the game, so the star player did not need to continue playing to secure the win. Adebayo played 42 minutes of the 48-minute game; no other starter for the Heat played more than 30 minutes. His record-breaking performance raises two questions: is playing simply for a game record ethical, and does the way one breaks a record matter?

Ethical Minutes

At the height of the Golden State Warriors’ campaign, their stars had many games where it seemed as though they would break records. Steph Curry, on many occasions, was on pace to set a record for most made three-pointers in a single game, but the guard was often pulled for rest when the score was too lopsided.

An unwritten rule in the NBA is that of “Garbage Time,” when the winner is all but declared, and starters are pulled for bench players to get reps. Often, players will dribble out the clock instead of attempting to score, out of courtesy and to avoid running up the score. It is a sign of respect to one’s opponents to opt not to run up the score further after a team is unlikely to make a comeback. And though it’s not an official practice, breaking this pact at the end of an uncontested game can lead to controversy and raise tensions. 

So, in a game where the victor is clear, is it ethical to keep a star in the game just to break a record? 

To start, it helps to clarify that “Garbage Time” simply makes no sense. Players deep in the rotation are given fewer chances to showcase their talents and improve their skills. Many players only get in the game during “Garbage Time.” Can we really expect a player who has dedicated his life to competition to abide by an arbitrary, artificial rule that prevents him from putting his hard work to the test? 

No, that expectation is unfair. A game’s competition should last from the starting whistle to the final whistle, regardless of who is on the court. Otherwise, players cheat themselves out of a chance to develop and cheat viewers out of a few minutes of high-level play. Thus, we can’t fault a player for wanting to push for a record and test themselves throughout a game: winning is important, but so is developing, and developing as a player requires pushing oneself to the limit. Even if the game is basically won, all parties should still compete—if not for the viewers, for the players.

Furthermore, the media sends mixed messages about playing for better personal statistics. We celebrate players who put up extraordinary stat lines, yet bash players for stat-padding. For a player trying to cement his legacy, why not go for those records?  

Ethical Scoring

Last summer, I discussed foul-baiting in the NBA. While watching free throws and the horrible acting that many stars display to go to the line is frustrating to watch, foul-baiting is a skill, with players demonstrating varying levels of skill. Many consider basketball a form of art, with spin moves, pull-up jumpers, and crossovers seeming like a dance routine. Thus, many also differentiate between ethical and unethical basketball.

We can define ethical basketball as play in which players use talent and coordination to overcome their opponents. Instead of relying on niche rules or exploiting loopholes in the rules, players demonstrate their raw abilities honed for the big stage. After all, fans come to watch incredible displays of athleticism and skill rather than players who abuse the rules for an easier shot. While I do consider foul-baiting a skill, it is not “ethical.”

Many criticize Adebayo’s 83-point game for the unethical nature of how he got his points. Of his 83 points, 36 came from the charity stripe. The Heat center shot more free throws (43) than the entire Wizards team (29). To put that in perspective, that is four more attempts than the previous record set more than a decade ago. Furthermore, he attempted 22 three-pointers yet made only seven for 32%. Many claim that he was simply chucking up shots and foul-baiting en route to his historic performance.

Also, as Adebayo neared the record mark, many noticed that his teammates began intentionally missing their own free throws to recover the loose ball and give Adebayo more opportunities to score.

However, these arguments are unfair and do not justify characterizing Adebayo’s performance as unethical. Watching the game, it becomes clear that Adebayo’s trips to the free-throw line were earned from absorbing the contact of the Wizards’ defenders. Only after he had reached the 70-point mark (still a wild accomplishment) can one argue that he began to bait for fouls. 

Even then, the center had to make the free throws. Shaquille O’Neal, who many consider to be one of the greatest centers ever, struggled from the line. His weakness was so bad that teams would intentionally foul the center—even to the point of fouling out—just to force him to shoot free throws. O’Neal could have worked on the shot and become more consistent, but he never became a reliable free-throw shooter. The fact that Adebayo can make more than 80% of his free throws in a game after playing 42 minutes takes skill and endurance. The same can be said about his ability to still nail the long ball.

In regard to the help from his teammate, we must look at the game that holds the record. On March 2, 1962, center Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points. What did his teammates do that night? The same thing that Adebayo’s teammates did: intentionally missing free throws and fouling opposing players to gain possession. Even with the help from his teammates, Chamberlain had to put in work for that score.

Similarly, Adebayo had to work for his points.

The Whining Fan

Adebayo’s scoring explosion proved that fans and the media can never be happy. They spout box scores and statistics as the basis for a player’s “greatness,” yet when a player who is not a conventional star puts up huge numbers, fans are quick to downplay the achievement. 

Sure, the game was sealed long before Adebayo reached 83, but can you fault someone for trying to cement themselves in the history books? Chamberlain’s record game finished with a 21-point lead, yet the center played all 48 minutes. What’s the difference? Did they not both have to work for the points?

Part of the appeal of professional basketball is to admire the skill. If I wanted to watch “ethical” basketball, I’d watch a local pick-up game. But players aren’t nearly as talented there. Fans should want to watch these great scoring displays where a player exploits their opponent’s defense.

Hating on these achievements only serves to cheat fans and players of high-level basketball.

Tyler Dang ’28 (tylerdang@college.harvard.edu) is bewildered that Bam’s name will be uttered in the same sentence as Wilt and Kobe.