10 Best Plays in NBA History: 2023 Edition (Part 1)
What does it take to produce one of the best plays in NBA history? If posterizing dunks, buzzer beating game winners and brutal power is your thing, then you're at the right place.
I took a list of Sports Illustrated's favorite moments, took into consideration the internet's most timeless NBA moments and factored in the importance of each play to work out the 10 best plays in NBA history.
10. Larry Bird's Steal
The Boston Celtics came up against Detroit's "Bad Boys" in the 1987 Eastern Conference finals. With the series locked at two-all, a win for Detroit would have led to a likely series clinching Game 6 at home. With five seconds left, Detroit's Isiah Thomas was inbounding the ball from the sideline.
Bird caught a quick glance at Thomas looking toward Bill Laimbeer in the low post an instant before he released the ball. Bird instinctively launched himself to intercept the ball. It looked like his momentum would take him out of bounds but he gathered his balance at the baseline.
Bird then spotted Dennis Johnson making a cut and passed it to him with Johnson sinking the layup with one second remaining. The Celtics went on to win the series in seven games and advanced to the NBA Finals where they lost to the Lakers in six games.
9. Shaq Destroys the Backboard
During a regular season game in 1993 Orlando Magic rookie Shaquille O'Neal made a powerful put-back dunk against the New Jersey Nets. Shaq was dominant throughout his career which is why he's one of the best NBA players of all time and it was this dunk that set the tone.
Shaq's dunk was so strong, it destroyed the hydraulic system holding up the backboard leading to it to buckle and fold onto the floor. The crowd went berserk and the moment completely ruined Nick Anderson's career-high 50 points off the bench which no one will remember the game for.
8. LeBron James With "The Block"
LeBron James delivered one of the best plays in NBA history with argubably the best blocked shot of all time. It was Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals between Cleveland and Golden State. With 1:56 left on the clock Golden State's Andre Iguodala was on a clean break and about to put the Warriors ahead 91-89.
Chasing down Iguodala was LeBron James who never gave up on the play. LeBron sprung up from behind - soaring 35 inches - and blocked Iguodala to completely swing the momentum of the game. Kyrie Irving then hit a three-pointer over Stephen Curry with 53 seconds left.
"The Block" is considered to be one of the greatest clutch moments and greatest defensive play of all time. Cleveland stopped the 73-9 Golden State Warriors to win the championship, becoming the only team to overturn a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals, and ending Cleveland's 52-year drought without a major sports title.
7. Reggie Miller's 8 Points in 9 Seconds
Reggie Miller is one of the best players never to win an NBA championship. He got the Pacers close to winning it in 1995. During Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals the Knicks were up 105-99 with 18.7 seconds left.
Miller scored eight points in nine seconds to seal Game 1 for the Pacers 107-105. The key shot was Miller collecting a loose ball, running back to the 3-point line, and sinking a 3-pointer with 13.2 seconds left.
The win was crucial as the Pacers beat the Knicks in seven games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, but they lost to the Magic in seven games.
6. Tracy McGrady's 13 Points in 35 Seconds
In a 2004 game against the Spurs which the Rockets looked certain to lose, McGrady never gave up. He scored an incredible 13 points in 33 seconds to chase down a deficit that was as much as 8 points with 35 seconds remaining.McGrady scored 4 consecutive 3-pointers, including a four-point play.
The final one of those was one of the best plays in NBA history. With 7.5 seconds left and no timeouts remaining, McGrady picked up the loose ball from a Spurs turnover, took the ball up court and snatched the most unlikeliest of victories.
I'll be back tomorrow with Part 2!
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