Bam Adebayo’s 83 points may be the second most ever in an NBA game, but A’ja Wilson is first in his heart

Bam Adebayo and A’ja Wilson’s latest postgame moment is another example of the couple’s very public support for each other’s success.

If there’s one thing Bam Adebayo is going to do, he’s going to loudly champion his girlfriend A’ja Wilson.

After the Miami Heat’s Tuesday night victory against the Washington Wizards, in which the 28-year-old player scored a historic 83 points, he credited the 29-year-old Las Vegas Aces star.

During a postgame press conference, after he packed on a little sweet PDA on the court during a photo op, the Miami Heat center thanked the WNBA MVP for her support and explained that since she missed him scoring the 10,000th point of his career during Sunday’s game, he had to make it up to her when she was next in attendance.

“She was complaining about how I got my 10,000 points and how she wanted me to wait, so to have 83 [points] the first game she’s here is very special,” Adebayo said while seated next to her.

“The behind-the-scenes, the workouts, and the conversations are very motivating. Obviously, you see what she does and you get inspired every day by that,” he continued. “I’m thankful to have her in my life.”

As Wilson looked visibly touched, with sunglasses obscuring her eyes, he teased, “She’s going to cry by the way,” before she jokingly replied, “No, I’m not.”

The couple also shared how seriously they take each other’s game day rituals. Before Adebayo reached his milestone, the WNBA star was originally seated courtside watching the game, but after he missed a free throw, she worried she may have disrupted his flow and moved to a more behind-the-scenes location.

“I see the countless hours that he puts in. I see the early morning workouts, the questioning, the self-doubt. I see all that,” she explained. “So to see him thriving so well in that space during that time, I didn’t want to mess up any mojo.”

She added with a laugh, “We are the two most routine people ever, and I’m like, ‘Alright, if I’m not in my seat, he’s doing pretty well.’ I remember I sat down and you missed your free throw, and I’m like, ‘Alright. Let me go back to the back.’”

Wilson added, “But at the same time, I knew I just wanted to be there to show my support. This has been an incredible game, obviously, but journey for Bam. Witnessing it firsthand, the highs and the lows of it, it’s been so much fun.”

She then praised her boyfriend for the ways in which he inspires her.

“I know he says that I’m his inspiration, but I don’t think he has a clue how much he inspires me to continue to be the person that I am, but to show up for him,” she said. “That’s my biggest goal. Always to be present and show up for him.”

This constant PDA, public display of admiration for each other, is nothing new for the pair. In fact it’s what first led fans to realize there was something romantic between them. While Adebayo and Wilson never formally confirmed publicly when they became a couple, speculation began circulating around the summer of 2024 when he appeared courtside to support her during the Paris Olympics.

Wilson further fueled rumors in 2025 when she referred to him as her “favorite Olympian” as he sat courtside during the South Carolina Gamecocks’ ceremony to retire her No. 22 jersey, and later divulged their Valentine’s Day plans during Chase Freedom’s Cashback Courts at NBA All-Star Weekend in San Francisco.

Among the ways Adebayo has also shown his support, he has proudly worn sneakers from Wilson’s signature shoe collaboration with Nike. The basketball player also has a penchant for social media posts that not so subtly reference the spelling of her name and its use of an apostrophe.

Hope everybody finds A’thousand reasons to smile on this lovely Sunday. 😁— 13am Adebayo (@Bam1of1) September 16, 2024

Wilson gave a rare glimpse at their relationship more directly during a recent profile with Cosmopolitan magazine where she called him “amazing” and her “safe space.”

“I have an amazing boyfriend who really is my safe space. He’s truly a gift. He’s obviously in the same field, so we bounce off different things with one another to where it’s like, no, we’re not alone,” she gushed. “He’s helped me through a lot and welcomed me to be who I’m going to be. I know he’s like, ‘I don’t know what A’ja I’m going to get today, but I’m blessed to be beside her.’”