1. Ray Allen hits arguably the greatest shot in NBA history during Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals:
This is one of those crazy, divine moments where everything added up perfectly to create a moment where you simply could never forget where you were and what you were doing if you got to watch it unfold in real-time. Kyrie Irving’s Game 7 shot and Kawhi Leonard’s Game 7 shot were absolutely epic, but this was Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals where the Spurs were up 3-2 and literally seconds away from winning the championship while the Heat was seconds away from losing that same coveted championship.
This championship would have been the Heat’s second Finals loss in three appearances since their big three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh came together in the summer of 2010 and they would have been seen as a failure. This was the true definition of a do-or-die, history-altering moment for the Heat.
On the other hand, the Spurs had won four championships since 1999, beginning with Tim Duncan leading the way, before winning their next three in 2003, 2005 and 2007 with the additional core (and their own form of a big three) of the 2007 Finals MVP Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, arguably the greatest bench player and one of the greatest shooting guards of all time.
The 2007 Finals win was particularly interesting as the Spurs team beat a 22-year-old LeBron who led a not-yet-ready Cavaliers to the Finals. Duncan shared a moment with LeBron after sweeping the Cavaliers saying:
"“This is going to be your league in a little while.”"
Here they were seven years later, with the Spurs big three still intact but aging featuring a new star on the rise with a mid-range game and defensive prowess that would make Kobe and Jordan smile, Kawhi Leonard. Leonard would go on to win Finals MVP one year later but was still very young while showing some promise in this series.
Meanwhile, Lebron was the league MVP in arguably his best season and the Heat was first in their conference also accumulating a ridiculous, dominant 27-game win streak during the regular season. These were two all-time great teams with at least eight hall of famers (an aged Tracy McGrady was on the Spurs roster) and one team needing to step up in the biggest way possible with its back against the wall.
The Heat was down by 10 going into the fourth quarter and needed an epic comeback for the Spurs not to win the championship. This included Mike Miller of the Heat making a 3-pointer with one shoe on off a LeBron assist to go along with LeBron’s 32 points.
With 28.2 seconds left and the Spurs up 94-89 the court was being roped off for the Spurs championship celebration as Heat fans were leaving to beat traffic instead of watching the Spurs celebrate in Miami, but if there’s any constant in NBA history it’s that the game is not over until the final buzzer sounds (ironically proven by the previously mentioned Tracy McGrady scoring 13 points in 35 seconds with his Rockets down 12 to the Spurs for an improbable comeback win in 2004).
LeBron went up for a 3-point shot that missed but was tipped in the air by Ray Allen and Dwyane Wade until Mike Miller secured the rebound and got it back out to LeBron… who drained the three with 20 seconds left. They then had to foul an up-and-coming 21-year-old Kawhi Leonard, who missed one of two free throws setting up arguably the greatest moment in NBA history.
LeBron James went up for the game-tying 3-pointer and missed, but Gregg Popovich (one of the all-time greatest coaches who has coached the Spurs since 1996 for all five championships and is still their coach today), wanted to have smaller defenders who could switch defending players on the 3-point line and kept Tim Duncan on the bench, one of the best rebounders ever who had 30 points on the night.
Duncan being on the bench opened the door for Chris Bosh to secure the biggest offensive rebound in NBA history before passing it to Ray Allen who took two quick steps back without looking to nail a 3-point shot he practiced his entire life (Allen is one of the best shooters ever with the most three-pointers ever made who literally worked on stepping back to the 3-point line) that created the most epic call in NBA history by legendary commentator Mike Breen, “James catches, puts up a 3.
Won’t go. Rebound Bosh! Back out to Allen! His 3-pointer… BANG!!!!! Tie Game! With five seconds remaining!” The Heat went on to win overtime as Ray Allen changed the course of NBA history and the rest as they say… is history.