Greatest Shots in NBA History
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What is the single greatest shot in NBA history? Not the greatest signature shot like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's skyhook, Michael Jordan’s fadeaway or Dirk Nowitzki's one-legger. But what is the most memorable scored basket since the National Basketball Association began in 1946?
More than 5 million shots have been made in the NBA, and many things make a shot unforgettable, including shot difficulty, relevance, amazement and importance. A big shot in the playoffs carries more weight than one in the regular season. The biggest are indelible.
These are the greatest shots in NBA history.
30. James Harden Delivers an Ankle Breaker
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Date: Feb. 28, 2018
Game: Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Result: Rockets win 105-92
Famous last words: "I was looking at [Wesley Johnson], and he was looking at me. I was figuring out what he was doing, what he was going to say. I was going to shoot it. I was trying to figure out what was going on. I was confused." — James Harden
Bottom Line: Harden Delivers an Ankle Breaker
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Getting your ankles broken in the middle of an NBA game is always a harrowing experience. But what happened to Wesley Johnson might have required him to seek counseling afterward.
James Harden’s crossover sent Johnson tumbling to the floor at which point Harden stared at him, spun the ball, licked his lips and then launched a three-pointer to the oohs and ahhs of the crowd.
Johnson was on the ground so long that another Clippers defender ran over to try to contest Harden’s shot. In this day and age of social media, the clip has become one of the most meme-worthy videos of all time.
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29. Derek Fisher Spurns the Spurs in Just 0.4 Seconds
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Date: May 13, 2004
Game: Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs
Location: SBC Center, San Antonio, Texas
Result: Lakers win Game 5 of Western Conference semifinals 74-73
Famous last words: "Really, at the end of the day, it was Gary Payton’s trust to throw the ball to somebody else other than Kobe or Shaq that really led to the basket. A lot of guys don’t trust other people in those situations." — Derek Fisher
Bottom Line: Derek Fisher Spurns the Spurs in Just 0.4 Seconds
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The 2004 Lakers were a superteam with four Hall of Famers: Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Gary Payton. Yet it was Derek Fisher who was took the game-winning shot.
Tim Duncan gave the Spurs the lead with 0.4 seconds, and it seemed as though San Antonio was on its way to a 3-2 series lead. However, Fisher managed to catch an inbounds pass, turn around and launch a jumper all in 0.4 seconds. The end result was nothing but net.
Fisher and the Lakers ran off the court into the locker room with Fisher later admitting that he was unsure if he got it off in time and exited before it could be reviewed. The shot was the only buzzer-beating game-winner in the 2004 playoffs.
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28. Linsanity Reaches Its Peak
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Date: Feb. 14, 2012
Game: New York Knicks vs. Toronto Raptors
Location: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
Result: Knicks win 90-87
Famous last words: "You just watch, and you're in awe. He held it until five-tenths of a second left. He was pretty confident that was going in, no rebounds, no nothing. That ball was being buried." — Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni
Bottom Line: Linsanity Reaches Its Peak
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Jeremy Lin was a shooting star in 2012 that came out of nowhere and then slowly faded away in the following years. He was still in the G-League just three weeks before this game, which was just his fifth in the NBA as a starter.
On a team with veterans like Amar'e Stoudemire and Mike Bibby, Coach Mike D’Antoni enlisted his young point guard to take the game-winning shot. With Lin possessing the ball near midcourt, D’Antoni signaled for an isolation and Linsanity went to work. He calmly dribbled four times and then drained a three-pointer while goose-necking the follow-through.
There would be more highlights and high-scoring games during his epic run, but this game and this shot was the peak of Linsanity.
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27. The Shot, The Wave and The Stare
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Date: April 23, 2019
Game: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Location: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Result: Trail Blazers win Game 5 of Western Conference first round 118-115
Famous last words: "That’s a bad shot. I don’t care what anybody says. That’s a bad shot." — Paul George
Bottom Line: The Shot, The Wave and The Stare
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Despite Paul George’s assertion that Damian Lillard’s series-ender was a bad shot, every player will prefer a bad shot that goes in over a good shot that doesn’t. Lillard’s buzzer-beater was just the second in the last 20 years that won a series, and the other was also courtesy of him in 2014.
Lillard was matched up on George, who was first-team all-defense, and he knew that the series was either going to end on his shot or the game was going into overtime. George was playing off to prevent Lillard from driving as no one expected him to launch one from nearly 40 feet. But with two seconds remaining, Lillard elevated from 37 feet out and knocked it down.
He then waved goodbye to the Thunder bench before being mobbed by teammates. While the entire city of Portland was going crazy, Lillard offered one of the best meme-worthy faces in recent memory as he showed no emotion during the celebration.
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26. John Paxson Clinches a Three-Peat
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Date: June 20, 1993
Game: Chicago Bulls vs. Phoenix Suns
Location: America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Result: Bulls win Game 6 of NBA Finals 99-98
Famous last words: "Once Paxson got the ball, I knew it was over." — Michael Jordan
Bottom Line: John Paxson Clinches a Three-Peat
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Sometimes memorable plays have as much to do with a defensive error as it does the offense’s execution. With the Bulls down by two with 14 seconds left and dribbling up the length of the court, the Suns were told by their coach to not double-team anyone, including Michael Jordan who received the inbounds pass.
Danny Ainge forgot that memo, and as Jordan and Scottie Pippen broke the full-court press, Ainge tried to double Pippen who was driving to the hoop. Pippen then dished to Grant who was cutting toward the basket, and Ainge then went to Grant. Grant quickly passed it back to John Paxson who was Ainge’s man all along, and Paxson was wide open behind the arc.
As soon as the ball left his hands the Suns' Dan Majerle went into the Surrender Cobra pose and just as Jordan predicted, it was all but over.
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25. Allan Houston Stuns No. 1 With Buzzer-Beater
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Date: May 16, 1999
Game: New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat
Location: Miami Arena, Miami, Florida
Result: Knicks win Game 5 of Eastern Conference first round 78-77
Famous last words: "That shot saved some jobs. A lot of personnel changes would've been made. A lot of lives would've been altered." — Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy
Bottom Line: Allan Houston Stuns No. 1 With Buzzer-Beater
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Thanks to a lockout, the 1998-99 season was a condensed one in which the playoff teams were also tightly bunched together. The No. 1-seed Miami Heat had just six more wins than the No. 8-seed Knicks, and those teams met in the first round. They traded wins over the first four games, and Miami was leading by one with 4.5 seconds remaining in Game 5.
Allan Houston received an inbounds pass at the top of the key, took one dribble to split between two defenders and launched a running one-footer from the free-throw line. The ball bounced on the front rim, then hit the backboard before dropping into the hoop with 0.8 seconds remaining.
The Miami crowd was shocked as their team became just the second No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 8 seed.
24. Jordan Shrugs Off the Blazers
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Date: June 3, 1992
Game: Chicago Bulls vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Location: Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
Result: Bulls win Game 1 of NBA Finals 122-89
Famous last words: "Shots started dropping from everywhere. I started running for the three-point line. It felt like a free throw, really." — Michael Jordan
Bottom Line: Jordan Shrugs off the Blazers
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The three-point shot was still a novelty in the early 1990s, and the Bulls had 15 games during the 1991-92 regular season in which the team didn’t make a single three-pointer. Michael Jordan made just 27 himself all season, which is about one every three games.
But the floodgates opened up in Game 1 of the NBA Finals as Jordan knocked down six three-pointers in the first half alone. It was after the sixth that Jordan ran down the court and offered up his infamous shrug of the shoulders as if not even he could believe what was going on.
The six three-pointers in the first half, as well as Jordan’s 35 first-half points, were both NBA Finals records at the time.
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23. Kareem’s Patented Sky Hook Makes Him the All-Time Scoring King
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Date: April 5, 1984
Game: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz
Location: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Result: Lakers win 129-115
Famous last words: "They beat us that night, but even with that, it’s good to be a part of history in some way." — Jazz forward Thurl Bailey
Bottom Line: Kareem’s Patented Sky Hook Makes Him the All-Time Scoring King
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For 11 years, Wilt Chamberlain’s name sat atop the all-time scoring list until one of the many skyhooks launched by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke the record. Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar once had a great mentor/mentee relationship, but it iced over once they were adversaries in the NBA so it had to be extra sweet for Cap to break Wilt’s mark.
This game took place in Las Vegas of all places as the opponent Jazz would play a couple of home games there during the mid-1980s. The pro-Lakers Vegas crowd started murmuring even before Kareem touched the ball on the possession that gave him the record, and they gave him a standing ovation afterward.
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22. Magic’s Baby Sky Hook Downs the Celtics
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Date: June 9, 1987
Game: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics
Location: Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Result: Lakers win Game 4 of NBA Finals 107-106
Famous last words: "I started to take the jumper but I saw [Kevin McHale] coming at me, so I decided to cut toward the middle. I put it up, and saw it as I released it, but then someone jumped in my face. I never saw it go in." — Magic Johnson
Bottom Line: Magic’s Baby Sky Hook Downs the Celtics
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Through the first three games of the 1987 Finals, the home team won each matchup. It looked as if Game 4 was going to go the same way, which would have evened the series at 2-2, but NBA MVP Magic Johnson had other ideas.
With seven seconds left and the Lakers down by one, Magic had Kevin McHale guarding him after a switch. With a little dribble hesitation, Magic got McHale off balance and then dribbled into the lane from the left side of the court where he attempted a 12-foot running hook shot.
McHale scrambled and tried to block the shot as did Robert Parish, but Magic got some good pointers from the skyhook king in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the ball just floated from Magic's fingers into the basket. As a homage to Abdul-Jabbar, Magic called his version of the shot a junior, junior, junior skyhook.
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21. Gar Gets Heard as the Suns Force Triple Overtime
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Date: June 5, 1976
Game: Phoenix Suns vs. Boston Celtics
Location: Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Result: Celtics win Game 5 of NBA Finals 128-126
Famous last words: "Gar Heard turnaround shot in the air. … It’s good! It’s tied again! I don’t believe it!" — Play-by-play man Brent Musberger
Bottom Line: Gar Gets Heard as the Suns Force Triple Overtime
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Few NBA games get the title of "Greatest Game Ever Played," but this game is on the short list due to its back and forth nature that went three extra periods.
The Celtics seemingly won the game with a buzzer-beater in the second overtime, but after fans stormed the court and players went to the locker room, it was ruled that there was still time on the clock when the basket was scored.
Those few seconds were just enough for Gar Heard to hit a turnaround jumper at the top of the key. The shot was all for naught as the Celtics eventually prevailed in overtime and then went ahead and won the championship by winning Game 7.
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20. AI Crosses Over The GOAT
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Date: March 12, 1997
Game: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls
Location: CoreStates Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Result: Bulls win 108-104
Famous last words: "I just backed up and gave [Michael Jordan] a little one and he went for it, and I was like, 'Oh, yeah, I got his a-- now.'" — Allen Iverson
Bottom Line: AI Crosses Over The GOAT
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Like many kids who grew up in the 1980s and '90s, Allen Iverson idolized Michael Jordan. So what better way to pay homage to your idol than by crossing him over as a rookie?
Jordan was isolated on Iverson at the top of the arc, and "The Answer" showed why he was that year’s No. 1 pick. Iverson shook Jordan with a little cross. Then, Iverson gave him a bigger crossover to the right before hoisting his shot. The space created between the two prevented a lunging Jordan from challenging the shot, and Iverson knocked down an 18-footer.
Jordan later said that he couldn’t have been that much of a hero to Iverson if he crossed him over like that.
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19. Larry Bird Shows Why You Follow Your Own Shot
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In this May 23, 1984, file photo, Boston Celtics' Larry Bird goes to the basketb against Milwaukee Bucks' Mike Dunleavy, foreground, and Bob Lanier, top left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Boston. After averaging 24.3 points, 10 rebounds and 6.3 assists in his 13 seasons, the Indiana native coached the Pacers to the NBA Finals and later built an Eastern Conference power as team president.Date: May 5, 1981
Game: Boston Celtics vs. Houston Rockets
Location: Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Result: Celtics win Game 1 of NBA Finals 98-95
Famous last words: "That is the greatest play I've ever seen. Larry Bird is a player of destiny." — Celtics GM Red Auerbach
Bottom Line: Larry Bird Shows Why You Follow Your Own Shot
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It wasn’t 10 years into his career that Larry Bird picked up the nickname of "Larry Legend." It wasn’t even after his first NBA championship. It was here, during Game 1 of his first NBA Finals appearance, and it came after this legendary shot.
Bird launched an 18-footer and immediately knew the shot was off and the direction in which it would bounce off the rim. He followed his own shot, caught it in mid-air on the right side of the basket, switched the ball over to his left hand and flipped it into the hoop.
After the game, a sportswriter for the Boston Herald proclaimed that Bird should be named Larry Legend going forward and the nickname stuck.
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18. Westbrook Locks Up MVP With Record-Breaking Shot
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Date: April 9, 2017
Game: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets
Location: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Result: Thunder win 106-105
Famous last words: "I practice that shot everyday pregame. So I definitely feel confident in shooting that shot." – Russell Westbrook
Bottom Line: Westbrook Locks Up MVP With Record-Breaking Shot
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It’s hard to find a regular-season shot being so historic, but that was the case with Russell Westbrook’s game-winning buzzer-beater. He knocked down a 36-footer to give his team a win over the Nuggets, and that shot also gave him 50 points in a game in which he already had a triple-double.
It was the third 50-point triple-double of his career, which set a new NBA record while the triple-double, his 42nd of the season, also broke Oscar Robertson’s record of most in a single season. Additionally, Westbrook broke a tie with Wilt Chamberlain and moved into sole possession of the third-most triple-doubles in NBA history.
If that wasn’t enough, the Thunder victory and Nuggets loss eliminated Denver from Western Conference playoff contention.
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17. Reggie Miller, Knick Killer
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Indiana Pacers guard Reggie Miller puts the ball over New York Knicks guard Greg Anthony for three points in the final seconds of their game at New York's Madison Square Garden, May 7, 1995. Miller contributed 31 points in the Indiana Pacers come-from-behind 107-105 victory in the semi-final of the Eastern Conference.Date: May 7, 1995
Game: Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Result: Pacers win Game 1 of Eastern Conference semifinals 107-105
Famous last words: "Man, did this dude just did this?" — John Starks
Bottom Line: Reggie Miller, Knick Killer
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Before Reggie Miller could score eight points in nine seconds, he had to reach six points in four seconds.
He did that by knocking down a three-pointer and then knocking down Greg Anthony just as he was about to receive an inbounds pass. The pass then ended up going directly to Miller, who took one dribble backward to behind the three-point line to hit another three-pointer.
Just like that, Miller tied a game, in which the Pacers were trailing by six with 19 seconds remaining. To complete the eight points in nine seconds, the Knicks proceeded to miss two free throws, Patrick Ewing missed a putback attempt, Miller grabbed the rebound, inexplicably was fouled, and knocked down both foul shots.
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16. Wade to LeBron With 90 Feet in Between
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Date: Feb. 15, 2011
Game: Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers
Location: Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Result: Heat win 110-103
Famous last words: "Wade, baseball pass to LeBron — 92 feet!" — Play-by-play man Chris Denari
Bottom Line: Wade to LeBron With 90 Feet in Between
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One of the purest things in basketball is a great outlet pass that starts a fast break. But very rarely have we seen an outlet pass from one end of the court to the other that ends in an alley-oop, and only the LeBron and D-Wade duo could pull it off.
It started when LeBron took off to the other end of the court after a Pacers player shot a jumper. Wade noticed that out of the corner of the eye, and when he came down with the rebound, LeBron was already at half court.
Without hesitating, Wade, who was roughly three feet from the out of bounds baseline, did his best Dan Marino impersonation and threw a perfect pass that was about one foot from the opposing rim. From there, all LeBron had to do was make the reception and lay the ball in the basket for two points.
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15. Jordan Switches Hands in Mid-Air
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Date: June 5, 1991
Game: Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Location: Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
Result: Bulls win Game 2 of NBA Finals 107-86
Famous last words: "I exposed the ball. But then I saw long-arms Sam Perkins there, and it was just instinct to change it. And I changed it to my left hand and was able to get it off." — Michael Jordan
Bottom Line: Jordan Switches Hands in Mid-Air
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For three years, Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins were teammates at the University of North Carolina. Perkins left the school as the program’s all-time leader in blocked shots, and Jordan was likely aware of that.
Thus, when Jordan drove the lane and went up for a dunk during Game 2 of the 1991 NBA Finals, and saw Perkins rising to contest the shot, Jordan called an audible and switched the ball from his right hand to his left in mid-air.
He then softly laid the ball off the glass with his left to a thunderous ovation from the Chicago fans, and Marv Albert famously said, "Oh, a spectacular move by Michael Jordan!"
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14. The Logo’s 60-Footer Keeps the Lakers Alive
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Date: April 29, 1970
Game: Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks
Location: The Forum, Inglewood, California
Result: Knicks win Game 3 of NBA Finals 111-108
Famous last words: "The man's crazy. He looks determined. He thinks it's really going in!" — Walt Frazier
Botton Line: The Logo’s 60-Footer Keeps the Lakers Alive
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With three seconds left in Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals, Dave DeBusschere of the Knicks knocked down a basket to give his team a two-point lead.
With no timeouts remaining, the Lakers inbounded the ball to Jerry West who lived up to his nickname of "Mr. Clutch." West took three dribbles and launched a shot from just past the top of the key on the other side of the court. Perfect swish.
Had this shot come a decade later, it would have been a game winner. But no three-point line was instituted yet, so his 60-foot shot netted just two points and sent the game into overtime. Unfortunately for West and the Lakers, they went go on to lose that game and then lost the series 4-3.
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13. Big Shot Rob Adds to his Resume
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Date: May 26, 2002
Game: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Result: Lakers win Game 4 of Western Conference finals 100-99
Famous last words: "A luck shot is one of those guys who has no form. If you look at the shot, it was straight form. [Vlade Divac] shouldn’t have tipped it out there. It wasn’t a luck shot. I’ve been doing that for all my career. [Divac] should know. He should read the paper or something." — Robert Horry
Bottom Line: Big Shot Rob Adds to his Resume
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Robert Horry laid the foundation of his "Big Shot Rob" nickname while with the Rockets. But he took it to the next level in Los Angeles with a game-winning and series-saving three-pointer.
The Lakers were down 2-1 to the Kings and facing a Game 4 loss before heading back to Sacramento. With the Lakers down by two with 12 seconds to play, their best two players, Kobe and Shaq, missed back-to-back layups. Vlade Divac attempted to clear the ball and pray that time expired. Except Divac cleared it right to Horry who was waiting at the top of the key.
Chris Webber lunged at him, but Horry calmly launched a three-pointer that hit nothing but net and saved the Lakers. The Lakers went on to win the series in seven and win their third straight NBA championship.
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12. Trevor Booker Plays Hot Potato to Do the Impossible
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Date: Jan. 9, 2015
Game: Utah Jazz vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Location: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Result: Thunder win 99-94
Famous last words: "I knew I couldn't catch the ball. [Gordon Hayward] bounced it. I know you won't believe me, but I really do practice those shots. I guess you could say the hard work finally paid off." — Trevor Booker
Bottom Line: Trevor Booker Plays Hot Potato to Do the Impossible
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When there is less than 0.3 seconds on the clock in the NBA, a player cannot catch and shoot the ball in the time allotted. Thus, you often see tip-in attempts when there is that little time available, but Trevor Booker introduced an alternative to the tip-in.
With 0.2 seconds on the shot clock, Booker set up on the right block with the inbounds coming from the same side. He then received a bounce pass and, with his back to the basket, executed a two-handed volleyball bump to hit the ball over his head and into the basket.
It was just two points in the second quarter of a midseason game, but it was something that many diehard basketball fans had never seen before.
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11. Olajuwon Dream Shakes the Admiral Out of His Shoes
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Houston Rockets Hakeem Olajuwon (34) goes for a shot against the San Antonio Spurs in the Rockets 106-96 win in game two of the Western Conference Finals, Wednesday, May 24, 1995, San Antonio, Tex. Houston takes a 2-0 lead in the best of seven series. Defending of San Antonio are Avery Johnson (6) and Chuck Person (45).Date: May 24, 1995
Game: Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs
Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
Result: Rockets win Game 2 of Western Conference finals 106-96
Famous last words: "There he goes up with the hook, whoops, there he goes up and under. David Robinson still doesn't know where he is." — Sportswriter Peter May
Bottom Line: Olajuwon Dream Shakes the Admiral Out of His Shoes
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Just before this series began, David Robinson was awarded the NBA MVP, the award Hakeem Olajuwon won the year before. Olajuwon took exception to being passed over, and he took his frustrations out on Robinson and the Spurs all series.
The most memorable moment came when Olajuwon had Robinson on isolation on the baseline. Olajuwon then hit "The Admiral" with a crossover, and Robinson stayed with him. "The Dream" faked a layup, and Robinson didn’t fall for it. However, Olajuwon then spun baseline and faked a jump hook in which Robinson bit and left his feet. But Olajuwon never left his feet on his fake and executed an up-and-under for the easy layup.
The Rockets knocked off the Spurs and went on to successfully defend their NBA championship.
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10. Kawhi’s Quadruple Doink Sends Toronto to Eeastern Conference Finals
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Date: May 12, 2019
Game: Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Canada
Result: Raptors win Game 7 of Eastern Conference semifinals 92-90
Famous last words: "Remembering that moment, I knew I had some time to try to get some space, rather than just catch and shoot the ball. I ended up finding a spot that I like, that I work on. I just knew I had to shoot it high." — Kawhi Leonard
Bottom Line: Kawhi’s Quadruple Doink Sends Toronto to Eastern Conference Finals
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Prior to the 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals, there had never been a game-winning buzzer-beater in 132 NBA Game Sevens. Kawhi Leonard, and four bounces, changed history.
With four seconds left, the Raptors had a sideline inbounds play. Leonard received the ball at the top of the key. He made four dribbles while circling around the arc to his right and found a spot just inside the three-point line. But with the seven-foot Joel Embiid contesting the shot, Leonard had to put a little extra arch on the shot. It hit the front rim twice, then the back rim twice, all while Leonard had gotten into a crouch pose waiting for the shot to drop.
It eventually did and Leonard exploded with a rare show of emotion as he sent the Sixers home.
9. Kyrie Helps End a 52-Year Drought
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Date: June 19, 2016
Game: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors
Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Result: Cavaliers win Game 7 of NBA Finals 93-89
Famous last words: "All I was thinking about in the back of my mind was Mamba mentality. Just Mamba mentality, that’s all I was thinking." — Kyrie Irving
Bottom Line: Kyrie Helps End a 52-Year Drought
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LeBron James' famous block kept the score tied between the Cavaliers and Warriors in Game 7, but it was Irving’s three-pointer that put Cleveland up for good and helped end the city’s 52-year championship drought.
After a Cavs timeout, Irving had isolation on Steph Curry on the wing of the perimeter. With James standing in the corner on the same side of the court, Irving seized the moment and drilled a three-pointer over an outstretched Curry.
To date, it is the only shot to take a lead that Irving has ever made in the last minute of a playoff game.
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8. Iverson Steps Over Tyronn Lue into History
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Date: June 6, 2001
Game: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Result: 76ers win Game 1 of NBA Finals 107-101
Famous last words: "When I was going places it was, 'Oh, that’s the guy Allen Iverson stepped over!' Well, if you know that, then you know me, so that’s fine. I don’t have a problem with that." — Tyronn Lue
Bottom Line: Iverson Steps Over Tyronn Lue into History
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Many see the image of Allen Iverson stepping over Tyronn Lue and think it’s from "The Answer" breaking the ankles of his defender thus sending him to the ground. But Lue actually stuck with Iverson after a crossover and then challenged the shot. It was when landing that he fell down and after the basket went in, Iverson then infamously stepped over a fallen Lue right in front of the Lakers bench.
Iverson’s memorable shot and his 48 points ended the Lakers' 12-game postseason win streak and prevented them from having the first undefeated postseason in NBA history. But the Sixers didn't win another game in the series, and the Lakers repeated as champions in five games.
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7. Sampson Shows Off His Acrobatics to Sink the Lakers
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Date: May 21, 1986
Game: Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Location: The Forum, Inglewood, California
Result: Rockets win Game 5 of Western Conference finals 114-112
Famous last words: "He could shoot that 100 times and never make that again. But good fortune is what makes sports." — Lakers GM Jerry West
Bottom Line: Sampson Shows Off His Acrobatics to Sink the Lakers
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Many thought Ralph Sampson was going to be the next Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and while that comparison was way off, Sampson had a shot just as famous as anything Abdul-Jabbar had. This shot eliminated Cap and the Lakers from the playoffs in 1986.
Sampson’s Rockets were inbounding the ball with one second left, and the score tied. Back then, they didn’t break the time down by tenths of a second so one second could have meant just 0.3 seconds. Knowing that, when the ball was thrown to Sampson, he caught it while already in the air and his back to the basket. Then in one motion, he twisted his body enough to launch a shot, while still in the air, and it hit the rim three times before going in.
During an eight-year span during the 1980s, the Lakers made the NBA Finals seven times. Sampson’s shot is the reason why they weren’t a perfect 8-for-8.
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6. The Shot Heard Round the World
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Date: May 7, 1989
Game: Chicago Bulls vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Location: Richfield Coliseum, Richfield Township, Ohio
Result: Bulls win Game 5 of Eastern Conference first round 101-100
Famous last words: "Get the ball to Michael and everybody else get the f--k out of the way." — Bulls coach Doug Collins on the play call
Bottom Line: The Shot Heard Round the World
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In a do-or-die Game 5, the Bulls and Cavs had a frenzied fourth quarter in which the lead changed six times in the final minute. The last of those was Jordan’s buzzer-beater, which has been coined "The Shot."
Chicago inbounded the ball after a timeout while down by one point and with three seconds remaining. Jordan shook a double team to receive the ball, took two dribbles to his left and elevated just above the foul line.
But Craig Ehlo stuck with Jordan. That forced him to double pump and hang in the air an extra half-second. With Ehlo unable to match Jordan’s hangtime, he hit the shot and immediately leaped into the air in jubilation.
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5. One Last Display of Magic
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West guard Magic Johnson goes for a layup during first quarter action in the NBA All star game at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Fla. Feb. 9,1992. Johnson, who retired last year, was playing in his first game this season after testing positive for the AIDS virus.Date: Feb. 9, 1992
Game: All-Star Game
Location: Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida
Result: West wins 153-113
Famous last words: "It's the first game ever to be called on account of hugs. This was the perfect end to the story. I'd been trying to write this story all week, and that was like I was at my typewriter and I said, 'Here's my ending. Period.'" — Magic Johnson
Bottom Line: One Last Display of Magic
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In November 1991, Magic Johnson shocked the world by announcing he had contracted HIV and would be immediately retiring. But the fans still loved him and voted him into the All-Star Game three months later, and Johnson unretired for this special occasion.
The game unofficially became Magic’s retirement game, and he looked like someone in midseason form instead of someone who hadn’t played a competitive game in eight months. He engaged in one-on-one showdowns with Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan in a game that featured 15 Hall of Famers.
The pivotal moment came with 14 seconds left in the game when Johnson hit a three-pointer to put the West up by 40 points. The rest of the All-Stars came onto the court to celebrate Magic’s comeback, and the game ended there with 14 seconds left on the clock. Magic finished with 25 points and nine assists and took home the MVP.
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4. The Doctor Defies Gravity
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Date: May 11, 1980
Game: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Location: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Result: 76ers win Game 4 of NBA Finals 105-102
Famous last words: "It’s still the greatest move I’ve ever seen in a basketball game, the all-time greatest." — Magic Johnson
Bottom Line: The Doctor Defies Gravity
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Dr. J was known as one of the game’s foremost dunkers and brought it to the mainstream, but it was another gravity-defying move that was his greatest shot.
During Game 4 of the 1980 NBA Finals, Erving drove to the hoop on the right side but was met by forward Mark Landsberger. With no way to lay it up, Erving then scooped the ball while hanging in the air and drifted toward the other side of the basket. He then used his mammoth hands to palm the ball and flip up a finger roll from under the basket.
The ball bounced softly off the glass and into the hoop as the crowd erupted. While everyone in attendance and watching on TV were, and still are, in awe, Erving described it as just another move.
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3. Here Comes Willis
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Year: May 8, 1970
Game: New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Result: Knicks win Game 7 of NBA Finals 113-99
Famous last words: "I didn't want to have to look at myself in the mirror 20 years later and say I wished I had tried to play." — Willis Reed
Bottom Line: Here Comes Willis
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"Here comes Willis" is one of the most memorable calls in sports history as Marv Albert announced that Willis Reed was making his way onto the court. Reed, who had won the MVP that season, suffered a torn muscle in Game 5 that kept him out of Game 6. He wasn’t expected to play in Game 7, but this was the Knicks going for their first NBA championship, and he wasn’t going to miss this for the world.
Reed limped out of the tunnel and suited up for the Knicks in front of the home crowd as he was more of an emotional boost than a physical one. He scored the first two points of the game with a foul-line jumper and then also hit his next shot.
That would be the only four points of the game Reed scored, but his presence was enough to catapult the Knicks over the Lakers for the title.
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2. Ray Allen’s Clutch 3 Saves Miami’s Title Hopes
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Year: June 18, 2013
Game: Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs
Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Result: Heat win Game 6 of Finals 103-100
Famous last words: "I don’t rate my shots, but it was special. There are so many shots that I have been a part of. The shot is one thing, but I know what I have done to get in that position." — Ray Allen
Bottom Line: Ray Allen’s Clutch 3 Saves Miami’s Title Hopes
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The NBA anticipated the Spurs closing out the 2013 NBA Finals in Game 6 so much so that they surrounded the court with ushers and yellow ropes in the game’s closing minutes.
A championship celebration seemed a given, but Ray Allen and Chris Bosh had other ideas. It was Bosh’s key offensive rebound that set up Allen, who backpedaled to the three-point line without even looking at his feet.
The shot kept Miami’s hopes alive, and the series alive. The game went into overtime where Allen was caught on camera shouting "Get those motherf---ing ropes out of here!" as Miami won and forced a Game 7.
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1. The Last Shot of The Last Dance
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Date: June 14, 1998
Game: Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz
Location: Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Result: Chicago wins Game 6 of the NBA Finals 87-86
Famous last words: "I let the time tick to where I had the court right where I wanted it." — Michael Jordan
Bottom Line: The Last Shot of The Last Dance
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Everyone remembers "The Shot," but many forget what led up to it. With the game tied, John Stockton knocked down a three-pointer with 41 seconds left. Chicago called a timeout, and Jordan scored just four seconds afterward, then stripped Karl Malone on the other end of the court.
As the famous last words indicate, Jordan had the final shot envisioned in his mind before it happened. Jordan dribbled to roughly the foul line, gave a slight nudge to an already slipping Bryon Russell, knocked down the shot and left up the gooseneck follow-through, which is one of the most iconic photos in sports history.
Whether Jordan pushed off Russell or not is up for debate, but Russell summed up the play perfectly by saying, "Whether he pushed off or not, he was making that shot."
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Related: Signature Moves That Changed the NBA