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10 Best Plays in NBA History: 2024 Edition

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.

We 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.

5. Magic Johnson’s “Baby Skyhook”

Game 4 of the 1987 NBA Finals between the biggest NBA rivals, the Lakers and Celtics, is considered one of the greatest and most intense games in history. It was always going to take one of the best plays in NBA history to win it.

With 15 seconds left Larry Bird sunk a 3-point shot to put Boston ahead 106-105. Magic Johnson took the ball into the paint and over the arms of an outreaching Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Johnson hit a sweeping hook shot to put the Lakers ahead 107-106.

The “baby skyhook” was the key moment in the series. The Lakers went ahead 3-1 and took out the series in six games to become NBA champions. The moment is also one of the most iconic game winning baskets of all time.

4. Kobe Bryant’s Last Shot

Kobe Bryant’s last shot says everything about his “Mamba mentality” and it was the cherry on top of a 20-season career. In his farewell game the Lakers were trailing the Jazz for more than 36 minutes.

Bryant entered the fourth quarter with 37 points. He would go on to score the Lakers final 13 points and he finished with 60 in total. Behind by one, Bryant crossed half-court and Gordon Hayward went out to meet him. Julius Randle quickly set a screen and Hayward ate it.

He then got past Lyles and Hayward who chased him down. But Kobe rose up from just inside the 3-point line and banked the game winner with his trademark jumper and one of the best plays in NBA history.

3. “The Shot” by Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan has an endless list of highlights worthy of being the best plays in NBA History. His first entry on our list is “The Shot”. In Game 5 of the 1989 Eastern Conference first round playoff series, the Bulls were up against a Cavaliers team that went 57-25 in the regular season.

In the best-of-five series it was two games all. The decider was in the balance with the lead changing six times in the last minute. The Cavaliers hit the lead through Craig Ehlo 100-99 with 3 seconds left. After a timeout, Jordan was double teamed by Ehlo and Larry Nance. Jordan still managed to sink a jump shot at the foul line over Ehlo as time expired.

Jordan’s reaction of pumping his fist repeatedly became instantly iconic. The Bulls went on to lose the Eastern Conference finals against the Pistons that season but the moment helped to kick-start a run of six NBA titles in eight years for the Bulls.

2. The 0.4 Shot

In the 2004 Western Conference semifinals, the Spurs and Lakers were locked at 2-all. In Game 5, San Antonio superstar Tim Duncan sunk a fadeaway 18-footer over Shaquille O’Neal with only 0.4 seconds left on the clock. The game was as good as over, so everybody thought.

The game resumed after three consecutive timeouts. The Lakers’ Gary Payton inbounded the ball to Fisher on the final play and he scored on one of the best plays in NBA history. Fisher caught, turned, and shot the ball within the space of 0.4 seconds. The buzzer beater was good to the astonishment of everybody.

The 0.4 Shot won the Lakers Game 5 and they closed out the series the next game. After beating the Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals they were shocked by the Detroit Pistons, losing the 2004 NBA Finals in five games.

1. Michael Jordan’s Last Shot

In Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals Michael Jordan delivered the best play in NBA history. His 17-foot shot with 5.2 seconds left was his last shot for the Chicago Bulls, the game winner sealing the 1998 NBA Finals over the Utah Jazz and clinching his second three-peat.

Jordan had got the Bulls to within a point with 18.9 seconds left following a layup. With the Jazz in possession, Jordan stole the ball from Malone and with that moment ended Malone’s best chance of ever winning an NBA title. With the Jazz still up by one point, Jordan dribbled down the court and as the clock was winding down, drove toward the 3-point line and delivered a quick crossover on Bryon Russell.

Russell took the bait on Jordan’s crossover – although arguably with a helping hand – and Jordan hit a trademark 20-foot jumper with 5.2 seconds left on the clock. “The Last Shot” was Jordan’s 25th game winning shot for Chicago and a sixth championship from six NBA Finals appearances, further proof why Jordan is the greatest NBA player of all time.

Matt Ieriko

Matt Ieriko is a freelance writer who’s evolved his lifelong passion for sport into the creation of WolfgangSport.com in 2020 – an American sports blog covering the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS and more. As an Australian, he’s always been fascinated with the cultural differences and global significance of sports in America.

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