The Most Clutch Shots in NBA History

From MJ to LeBron, check out the most clutch shots in NBA history These are the players that came through in the biggest moments.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He was known for his acrobatic layups, his mid-range jump shot and his slam dunking. He was also known for his clutch shooting. Clutch shooting is the ability to make shots in high pressure situations, such as when the game is on the line.

Some of Jordan’s most clutch shots include:
-The Shot: This was a Jump Shot that he made over Craig Ehlo of the Cleveland Cavaliers to give the Chicago Bulls a lead in the 1989 Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls went on to win the series.
-The Flu Game: In this 1997 NBA Finals game, Jordan scored 38 points despite being ill. He made a crucial three-pointer with under a minute remaining to give the Bulls a lead they would not relinquish.
-The Shot II: This was a jump shot that he made over Bryon Russell of the Utah Jazz to win his sixth and final NBA Championship in 1998.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant nicknamed “Black Mamba ” is a retired professional basketball player who spent his entire 20-year National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time.

Bryant entered the NBA directly from High School and won five NBA championships with the Lakers. He was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA team and a 12-time member of the All-Defensive team He led the NBA in scoring during two seasons, and ranks fourth on both the league’s all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists. He is the All-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history.

In 2006, he proved himself to be one of the most clutch shooters in NBA history In Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Phoenix Suns he hit a game-winning three pointer with just seconds remaining on the clock. The highlight quickly became known as “Mamba Moment.”

Bryant’s legacy extends beyond basketball. In 2018, he was posthumously awarded an Oscar for his animated short film Dear Basketball

LeBron James

James has made some of the most clutch shots in NBA history His fadeaway jumper in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals is one of the most iconic moments in recent memory. He also hit a game-winning shot in Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals and he made a buzzer-beating three-pointer to win Game 2 of the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals James is one of the greatest players of all time, and his clutch shooting is a big part of why.

Magic Johnson

Some of the most clutch shots in NBA history were made by Magic Johnson In Game 4 of the 1980 NBA Finals with the Lakers trailing the Sixers 107-106, Johnson hit a jump shot with two seconds remaining to give Los Angeles a 108-107 victory. The Lakers went on to win the series in six games.

In 1982, Johnson again came up big in the Finals, this time hitting a running skyhook with just two seconds on the clock to give Los Angeles a 122-118 win over Philadelphia in Game 4. The Lakers won the series in six games.

And in 1987, Johnson hit a game-winning jump shot with only :02 seconds left on the clock to give Los Angeles a 106-104 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the NBA Finals The Lakers won the title in seven games.

5.Larry Bird

5.Larry Bird
In Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals with the Celtics down 107-106 to the Lakers and only seconds remaining on the clock, Bird caught a pass from Dennis Johnson near the Free Throw Line He pump faked, sending Lakers defender James Worthy flying past him, then calmly drained a jumper to give the Celtics a 108-107 lead with just seconds left on the clock. The Celtics held on to win the game and eventually went on to win the NBA Finals that year.

Bill Russell

Who else but Bill Russell? On May 5, 1969, the Lakers and Celtics were facing off in Game 7 of the NBA Finals With the score tied at 108 and just seconds remaining on the clock, Russell took the inbounds pass and put up a shot that will go down as one of the most clutch moments in NBA history The ball hit nothing but net, giving the Celtics a 110-108 victory and their 11th championship in 13 years.

Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain was an American basketball player who played center for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is widely considered one of the greatest and most dominant players in NBA history During his fourteen-year career, Chamberlain set numerous records including scoring 100 points in a single game. In 1972, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Before there was Michael Jordan there was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar He is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and for good reason. He played for 20 seasons in the NBA and is the league’s all-time leading scorer. He is a six-Ime Nba champion, a six-time NBA MVP and a 19-time NBA All-Star He is also the only player in history to win both an NCAA championship and an NBA Championship

Abdul-Jabbar was known for his signature skyhook shot, which was nearly impossible to guard against. He would often use it to score clutch baskets in important games. Here are some of the most memorable shots of his career:

In Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals Abdul-Jabbar hit a skyhook shot over Boston Celtics center Kevin McHale to give the Los Angeles Lakers a 108-102 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the game. The Lakers went on to win the game 111-102 and clinch their first NBA Championship since 1972.

In Game 5 of the 1984 NBA Finals Abdul-Jabbar hit another skyhook shot, this time over Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon to give the Lakers a 103-102 lead with 51 seconds remaining in the game. The Lakers went on to win 106-103 and clinch their sixth NBA championship

In Game 6 of the 1985 NBA Finals Abdul-Jabbar hit yet another skyhook shot, this time over Olajuwon again, to give the Lakers a 94-93 lead with 47 seconds remaining in the game. The Lakers went on to win 102-98 and clinch their seventh NBA championship

Shaquille O’Neal

Shaquille O’Neal is one of the most dominant players in NBA history A physical force on the court, he was nearly impossible to stop when he got going to the basket. In addition to his strength and size, O’Neal had incredibly quick feet and exceptional balance for a man his size. This made him a nightmare for opposing defenses, as he could simply back down defenders and score at will.

While O’Neal was an unstoppable force on the court, he was also known for his clutch shooting. In the fourth quarter of close games, O’Neal would often take over and will his team to victory. Time and time again, he would hit Big Shots when it mattered most.

Here are some of the most clutch shots in Shaquille O’Neal’s NBA Career

-In Game 1 of the 2000 NBA Finals O’Neal hit a key jumper late in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers win a close game against the Indiana Pacers

-With the Lakers down by two points in Game 4 of the 2001 NBA Finals O’Neal hit a game-winning jump shot with just seconds remaining on the clock. This gave the Lakers a 3-1 series lead and they went on to win the championship.

-In Game 5 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals, O’Neal hit a buzzer-beating jump shot to give the Lakers a 3-2 series lead over the Sacramento Kings The Lakers went on to win the series in seven games and eventually win the NBA Championship

Tim Duncan

On May 12th, 1997, in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals, the San Antonio Spurs were down by one point to the Utah Jazz with just under 20 seconds left on the clock. The ball was inbounded to Spurs’ superstar forward Tim Duncan who pump-faked, drove to the hoop and slammed it home with just seconds remaining, giving the Spurs a one-point lead. But that’s not all: Duncan then proceded to block Jazz forward Karl Malone’s shot on the other end of the court, sealing the victory for the Spurs and ultimately leading them to the NBA Finals

That clutch play by Tim Duncan is widely considered one of the greatest moments in NBA history and solidified his reputation as one of the most clutch players of all time.