Bam Adebayo Made an NBA-Record 36 Free Throws in One Game
Bam Adebayo made an NBA-record 36 free throws on 43 attempts in 2026. Compare the regular-season marks with Bob Cousy’s playoff records.
Bam Adebayo holds the NBA regular-season record for most free throws made by a player in one game: 36. He went 36-for-43 for the Miami Heat against the Washington Wizards on March 10, 2026. His 43 attempts are also the single-game record. The official scorer’s report records both figures, and NBA.com’s account of the performance identifies them as league records.
Because “most free throws” can mean makes or attempts—and because regular-season and playoff records are tracked separately—the category matters.
| NBA single-game category | Player | FT–FTA | Date | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular-season free throws made | Bam Adebayo | 36–43 | March 10, 2026 | Washington Wizards |
| Regular-season free throws attempted | Bam Adebayo | 36–43 | March 10, 2026 | Washington Wizards |
| Playoff free throws made | Bob Cousy | 30–32 | March 21, 1953 | Syracuse Nationals |
| Playoff free throws attempted | Bob Cousy | 30–32 | March 21, 1953 | Syracuse Nationals |
How Adebayo set both records
Adebayo played 41:54 and scored 83 points in Miami’s 150–129 regulation win. He made 20 of 43 field-goal attempts, including seven 3-pointers, along with his 36 free throws.
His scoring breaks down as follows:
- 13 two-point baskets: 26 points
- 7 three-point baskets: 21 points
- 36 free throws: 36 points
- Total: 83 points
The foul line supplied 43.4% of his points. Adebayo converted 83.7% of his free throws, but this was fundamentally a volume record: he reached the line 43 times and made eight more foul shots than any player had in a previous regular-season game.
Before Adebayo, Wilt Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley shared the record for makes with 28. Dwight Howard held the attempts record with 39, a total he reached twice. Adebayo raised those records by eight makes and four attempts in one night.
The record Adebayo broke
The previous made-free-throw record had stood at 28 for 64 years.
Wilt Chamberlain first made 28 during his 100-point game on March 2, 1962. He shot 28-for-32 from the line and 36-for-63 from the field as Philadelphia beat New York 169–147. That 87.5% free-throw performance was especially unusual for Chamberlain, a 51.1% career shooter, as the NBA’s history of the game notes.
Adrian Dantley tied Chamberlain on Jan. 4, 1984, making 28 of 29 attempts in Utah’s 116–111 win over Houston. Dantley scored 46 points, so free throws accounted for 60.9% of his scoring. His 96.6% accuracy was higher than Chamberlain’s or Adebayo’s, but he made eight fewer foul shots than Adebayo. The NBA’s historical calendar confirms Dantley’s 28-for-29 line.
That comparison shows why makes, attempts and percentage answer different questions. A player can own the record for makes without producing the highest percentage. For a separate guide to interpreting accuracy, see what constitutes a good free-throw percentage.
Why the playoff record is separate
Bob Cousy owns the NBA playoff single-game records for both free throws made and attempted. He went 30-for-32 and scored 50 points as Boston defeated Syracuse 111–105 in four overtimes on March 21, 1953.
That game occurred before the 24-second shot clock. Teams with a lead could stall, while trailing teams often responded by fouling. The four overtime periods also extended the game to 68 minutes. The NBA’s account of the game says Cousy’s 30 makes and 32 attempts remain the playoff records.
So the answer for an NBA regular-season game is 36 by Bam Adebayo. For an NBA playoff game, the record is 30 by Bob Cousy.