MOFFETT: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Bam Adebayo—Streaks and Records

I am—or was—a basketball guy. It was my passion. I’ll even try to find a photo to prove it.

I loved the Celtics and the NBA. But that was way back when.

Now I’m immersed in legislative activities, a different kind of competition, but one that I embrace at the expense of keeping up with the NBA.

Which brings us to Bam Adebayo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Who?

Not exactly Wilt, Kareem, Shaq, Kobe, or LeBron. But Adebayo and Gilgeous-Alexander have been in recent NBA hoop news. Big time.

Adebayo, a Miami Heat center, scored 83 points against the Washington Wizards on 3/10. It was the second-highest single-game NBA total ever, behind Wilt’s 100-point effort against the Knicks in 1962.

Speaking of Wilt—who, like Madonna or Cher, doesn’t need a last name—one of his numerous NBA records was broken on 3/12 when Gilgeous-Alexander, an Oklahoma City guard, extended his consecutive 20-point game scoring streak to 127, besting Wilt’s 126. That may be even more impressive than Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, in that Gilgeous-Alexander had to hustle, sweat, and bang his way to every 20-point game, whereas the Yankee Clipper could simply poke a first-inning single to extend his streak.

(And isn’t it easier to say Wilt or Shaq as opposed to Gilgeous-Alexander?)

Records are made to be broken. Most, anyway. FDR’s record consecutive streak of victorious presidential elections stands at four, and will never be broken, due to the 22^nd Amendment’s two-term limit—although the current president has reportedly expressed an interest in running a fourth time in 2028. But pesky constitutional issues aside, he’ll be 82 that year. Even older than LeBron.

Still, Wilt’s 65 consecutive 30-point NBA games is a record that will still last for a long time—like Cal Ripken Jr.’s streak of 2632 consecutive MLB game appearances.

Speaking of consecutive terms, I’m hoping for a “personal best” fourth legislative term in a row this fall. That, of course, will be largely up to others. But if Bam Adebayo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can do what they did, I can hopefully win that fourth straight term.

Sorry, DJT!