Every NBA Legend’s Most Clutch Play Ever

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When the game's on the line, legends rise. These 10 NBA icons turned pressure into greatness, delivering some of the most unforgettable moments in basketball history. But what are the most clutch plays of their illustrious careers? How Riley once said that if he had to choose a player to take a shot to save a game, he'd choose Michael Jordan. But if he had to choose a player to take a shot to save his life, he'd take Larry Bird. Larry Legend had plenty of fourth quarter heroics, with the most famous being the stolen inbounds pass from Isaiah Thomas, which sealed the win for the Celtics in the 1987 playoffs.

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And it was like in slow motion.

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It was like the ball like goes up in the air.

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I didn't even see it.

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However, that's just the tip of the iceberg of his clutch plays. In 1983, he hit this crazy one-legged three for the win against Phoenix.

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It's good!

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It's good!

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And the Celtics win it!

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In 1984, Bird hit a game winner in game four of the finals against Magic. And in 1985, he hit buzzer beaters in back-to-back games. But then there's the legendary story of scoring a game winner against Xavier McDaniel, one of the toughest defenders in the NBA, which fully illustrates how much of an insanely clutch and confident SOB Larry Bird was. There was under 10 seconds left, and Larry said, X, I'm gonna get it right here and shoot it right in your effing face. After he made the shot, two seconds remained on the clock, and Larry was actually mad.

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He shot a shot right in my face, and he was like, I didn't mean to leave two seconds on the clock.

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But if there's any other Celtic that came close to Larry's clutch scoring, that has to be the truth, Paul Pierce. Pierce has scored or assisted on 12 buzzer beaters in NBA history, which is the most all-time. The first memorable clutch moment came over Al Harrington in 2003 But the shot wasn't even the most impressive thing. It's the fact that Pierce had been trash-talking Al during the entire possession.

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Harrington talking to Pierce.

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In 2008, there was a legendary duel between LeBron and Pierce, and in game seven, both delivered. The King had 45, but the truth wasn't far behind with 41, leading the Celtics to victory. In 2009, during game five of the first round matchup in Chicago, playing without the injured Kevin Garnett, Pierce knocked down the game-tying shot in the final moments of regulation, then buried the game winner in overtime to help the Celtics take a 3-2 lead in the series.
The following season, Pierce knocked down another playoff game winner, this time against the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2010 NBA playoffs. Pierce puts it up for the win! Knocks it down!

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Celtics win!

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LeBron was really inspiring for Paul, and in game five of the 2012 Eastern Finals, Pierce did it to James again.

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Pierce for three.

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It's good!

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Paul Pierce from way downtown! However, the loudest and most memorable game winner of Pierce's career didn't come with the Celtics. It happened when he was with the Wizards, when Pierce called game.

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He's far away at the horn!

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It's gone!

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Did you call bank?

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I called game.

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But even though he suffered a few devastating buzzer-beaters from Pierce, LeBron James has more than made up for it later in his career. The King has the most buzzer-beaters in playoff history, he's made the most game-tying, go-ahead-fuel goals in the final minute of a playoff game, and across his entire career, he's made more than 1,000 clutch shots, which is the most in NBA history.

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I appreciate you saying I've been clutch my whole career. Not many like you, I tell you.

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It's really hard to choose the most clutch moment of his career, because there were so many great games, great shots, and great moments to choose from. However, one game stands above all the others for many different reasons. That game had the most pressure, it had a formidable opponent full of Hall of Famers, and almost everyone in the NBA wanted him to fail. It was June 7th, 2012, and the Boston Celtics had a 3-2 series lead against Miami, playing in front of a sold-out TD Garden. If LeBron didn't play well, it would be the second year in a row that he failed to win with a super team, after he proclaimed that they'd win seven titles. But then, with his back against the wall and his career legacy on the line, the King delivered one of the most cold-blooded and dominant performances in NBA history. Dunk after dunk, one tough jump shot after another, LeBron seemingly couldn't miss, as he went 12 out of 13 from the field en route to a 30-point first half in a game where seemingly every made basket was a clutch shot. LeBron, who played every minute through the first three and a half quarters, had come out of the game with 45 points on 19 for 26 shooting, 15 rebounds, and five assists against four Hall of Famers.