In this article, we’ll take a look at what a buzzer-beater is and the people who have created the most of them. Creating NBA history as they went…
THE BUZZER-BEATER
Undeniably one of the most exciting, dramatic ways to end any sporting contest.
Not just for NBA fans, but anyone who happens to witness one.
The ‘clutch shot’ has become a symbol of the impossible happening.
For the once-in-a-lifetime shot to come off.
The crowd erupts.
NBA records fall.
Legends are born…
Some of the most incredible moments in the history of the NBA have come as a result of skin-of-your-teeth shots that sneaked in on the buzzer.
Last-gasp victories are the ultimate in sporting drama and often end up being remembered for many years thereafter.
Yet they are not quite so unachievable as it might seem.
Sure it’s tough.
But these are the best basketball players on the planet we’re talking about.
WHAT ARE BUZZER-BEATERS?
For those of you who are new here:
A buzzer-beater is a field goal scored right at the end of the game.
The end of a basketball game is signified by a buzzer.
Those shots that creep in and, this is the key part, WIN the game just before that are the ‘buzzer-beaters’.
In fact, some of them are still in the air as the buzzer sounds but are still fair game if they drop through the hoop.
Those particular moments in NBA history have been among the most exciting of all.
THE CROWD HOLDS ITS BREATH AS ONE, AS THE BALL LEAVES THE FINGERTIPS AND THE BUZZER SOUNDS…
It is a short wait to discover whether the game is won or lost.
But one that has caused many a near-heart-attack no doubt.
The euphoria and savage disappointment that follow are all part of what makes buzzer-beaters so special and revered in NBA history.
Crushing disappointment at one end contrasts with incredulous delight at the other.
SPORT IN A NUTSHELL, JUST AMPED UP BEYOND BELIEF WITH MORE DRAMA THAN SOME PEOPLE CAN BEAR.
However you look at it, they are still an element of basketball games that creates pure tension.
They happen relatively infrequently and that only adds to their mystique.
So far, NBA history has seen a total of 786 instances where the buzzer was beaten for the win.
HERE ARE THE TOP TEN NBA PLAYERS WITH THE MOST BUZZER-BEATERS IN HISTORY:
10) KEVIN GARNETT
5 game-winning buzzer-beaters
Position: Forward/Center
21 seasons (1995-2016)
Kevin Garnett was known as the man with the biggest hands in the NBA.
He was an incredibly strong and powerful player.
THE ONLY PLAYER IN LEAGUE HISTORY OVER 6’10” TO MAKE 5 BUZZER-BEATERS OR MORE
He is the ONLY non-perimeter player to do it. As a big man playing in one of the less traditionally accepted ‘ball-playing’ positions, this was no mean feat.
All of Garnett’s buzzer beaters came as 2-point jumpers.
They ranged from 12-21 feet in distance.
4 of them for the Minnesota Timberwolves, the other for the Boston Celtics.
That might be the one that sticks with Kevin the most, as it helped to give him the first and only championship of his career.
9) VINCE CARTER
5 game-winning buzzer-beaters
Position: Guard/Forward
22 seasons (1998-2020)
Vince Carter played professional basketball in the NBA across 4 different decades.
JUST STOP AND THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT
That in itself makes him a remarkable individual.
He was known as an excellent all-around scorer, making eight appearances in the coveted All-Stars squad.
Carter’s most memorable buzzer-beater came in the NBA Playoffs in 2014.
A superb shot from right in the corner of the court.
Dallas Mavericks gained a memorable victory over San Antonio Spurs as a result.
Vince Carter’s game-winning shots have averaged 28 feet in distance, and 3 of them were over 30 feet!!!
With five buzzer-beaters in NBA championships, he rightly takes his place on the list.
8) ANDRE IGUODALA
5 game-winning buzzer-beaters
Position: Guard/Forward
16 seasons (2004-present)
During his time with the 76ers, all round basketball player Iguodala hit three winning shots that beat the buzzer and cemented the victory.
Moving to the Golden State Warriors, he went on to hit two more.
Four of his suspenseful game winners came when they were on the road, and three of them came with his team behind on the scores.
The highest drama of all, perhaps.
https://youtu.be/g7TFqqHY2X0
7) GILBERT ARENAS
5 game-winning buzzer-beaters
Position: Guard
11 seasons (2001-12)
All five of Agent Zero’s game-winners for the Washington Wizards have come with no support from teammates. That is an impressive fact in itself. He even celebrated before the ball hit the net against Utah Jazz and sent the fans into a frenzy.
A 25 FOOT BUZZER-BEATING SHOT JUST 12 DAYS AFTER A 32-FOOTER
in 2007 topped a performance that saw him add 51 points to the score. That puts him second on the list of players with the highest points total who ended the game beating the buzzer. Impressive to say the least. His NBA career didn’t last, but his name will live on.
6. DWYANE WADE
5 game winning game buzzer-beaters
Position: Guard
16 seasons (2003-19)
Dwyane Wade made five unassisted buzzer-beating shots for the Miami Heat.
OVER A PERIOD OF 14 YEARS
Miami Heat fans will never forget him for the three-point last-second winner that sealed their win over the Golden State Warriors.
5. PAUL PIERCE
7 game-winning buzzer-beaters
Position: Guard/Forward
19 seasons (1998-17)
Paul Pierce ended up executing seven buzzer-beaters in his career.
Six of them were unassisted.
Pierce isn’t the all-time leader on this list, but he is exceptional here in that no one else here has been involved with as many as he has.
He is tied for fourth-most of all time with seven buzzer-beaters of his own, and his five assists are the most ever. That’s 12 in total that he either scored or assisted on.
In league history, no other player has more than 10.
All seven of Pierce’s individual game-winners were 2-pointers (tied for the most).
4) LEBRON JAMES
7 game-winning buzzer-beaters
Position: Forward
17 seasons (2003-present)
LeBron James, the four-time NBA champion and his fans had to wait until his sixth season in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers for his first buzzer-beater.
In total, LeBron James has hit seven career buzzer-beaters but has yet to produce one for the LA Lakers.
There is certainly still hope for clutch shots from LeBron James, as…
HE IS STILL IN HIS HEYDAY
Of LeBron James’ seven buzzer-beaters, five came postseason.
That’s more than double those of anybody else.
He and Russell Westbrook are the only two players to twice match a buzzer-beater with a triple-double performance.
3) JOE JOHNSON
8 game-winning buzzer-beaters
Position: Guard/Forward
17 seasons (2001-18)
With seven of his eight buzzer-beaters taking place in isolation, the nickname Iso Joe seems totally appropriate.
THAT TIES HIM WITH MICHAEL JORDAN FOR MOST UNASSISTED BUZZER-BEATING SHOTS IN NBA HISTORY
Of his remarkable eight buzzer-beaters, Johnson did most of his damage for Brooklyn.
Iso Joe hit five of the shots there that put him 3rd on this list.
2) KOBE BRYANT
8 game-winning buzzer-beaters
Position: Guard
20 seasons (1996-16)
18-time All-Star.
Game-changer. Game-winner.
LEGEND
The sadly missed Kobe Bryant won the championship five times and was named the Finals MVP twice.
During his 20-year career, Bryant ended up hitting a total of eight buzzer-beating game-winners for the LA Lakers. The most buzzer-beaters in that club’s history.
Perhaps the most famous of those came during the first round playoffs against the Phoenix Suns in 2006.
Six of Bryant’s buzzer-beater shots came with his team trailing. No other player has more than 5.
BRYANT’S SEVEN REGULAR-SEASON BUZZER-BEATERS ARE TIED FOR THE MOST EVER
His legacy will live long in the memories of all who watched him play. He will also live on in NBA history books as one of the most dramatic finishers to ever play the game. RIP
WHO HAS THE MOST BUZZER-BEATERS IN NBA HISTORY?
Need you ask?
1) MICHAEL JORDAN
9 game-winning buzzer-beaters
Position: Guard
15 seasons (84-93, 94-98, 01-03)
It’s easy to go overboard when talking about extraordinary people and events that enthuse us.
As storytellers, we tend towards hyperbole to give our stories an extra kick. And our memories don’t help. They give the moments that captivate us that extra shine. Everything seems brighter and more vivid than it perhaps was in reality. None of this is true when waxing lyrical about Michael Jordan.
It seems almost impossible to overstate his total command of the game we love.
His athletic prowess. Skills for days.
It should come as no great surprise to anyone that the greatest basketball player who ever lived is also the player who was able to hit buzzer-beaters like no other.
In the nine games where Michael Jordan won as the buzzer sounded, he averaged 34.4 points.
THIS NUMBER IS THE HIGHEST IN NBA HISTORY
Only LeBron James has more postseason buzzer-beaters.
Jordan’s nine buzzer-beater shots were more than twice as many as any other player at the time when he retired in 2002. Today LeBron James has a decent shot at overtaking Jordan for most buzzer-beaters by the time his own career finishes. Time will tell.
For now though, when the question is – ‘who has the most buzzer-beaters in NBA history?’ it stands to reason that Michael Jordan is the answer.
HERE’S THAT LIST AGAIN IN FULL:
Gilbert Arenas- 5
Vince Carter- 5
Andre Iguodala – 5
Kevin Garnett – 5
Dwyane Wade- 5
Paul Pierce – 7
LeBron James – 7
Joe Johnson – 8
Kobe Bryant – 8
Michael Jordan – 9
Still not had your fix of buzzer-beater trivia?
Ok. Here is some more amazing NBA records for the more voracious among you:
Who did it without help?
Showboating by making sure their game-winners were totally solo efforts?
MOST UNASSISTED BUZZER-BEATERS IN NBA HISTORY
Joe Johnson – 7
Michael Jordan – 7
Paul Pierce – 6
Gilbert Arenas – 5
Kobe Bryant – 5
Dwayne Wade – 5
Which NBA players nailed the most game-winners when the pressure and mania were marginally less than that of the playoffs?
MOST REGULAR-SEASON WINNING SHOTS IN NBA HISTORY
Kobe Bryant – 7
Joe Johnson – 7
Michael Jordan – 6
Kevin Garnett – 5
Andre Iguodala – 5
Paul Pierce – 5
Dwayne Wade – 5
Who has the most buzzer-beaters in NBA history when it comes to 2-pointers instead of the glory-shot for 3?
Think they’re any less impressive? Try telling this guy that…
MOST 2-POINT BUZZER-BEATERS IN NBA HISTORY
Joe Johnson – 7
Michael Jordan – 7
Paul Pierce – 7
Kobe Bryant – 5
Kevin Garnett – 5
LeBron James – 5
And as for the show-offs?
MOST 3-POINT GAME-WINNING SHOTS IN NBA HISTORY
Vince Carter – 5
Gilbert Arenas – 3
Kobe Bryant – 3
Kevin Durant – 3
Moochie Norris – 3
Mo Williams – 3
And those who are from another planet?
MOST CLUTCH SHOTS FROM 30+ FEET
Vince Carter – 3
Vince Boryla – 2
Devin Harris – 2
FINAL THOUGHTS
When it comes down to the game-winning shot, nothing in the sport of basketball is as exciting or satisfying. Well, that’s the opinion of most of us here in The Jump Hub office anyway.
Successful game-winners become the hero of the match in the eyes of the fans.
Most NBA buzzer beaters go on to achieve some kind of legendary, or cult status.
This is in no small part due to their last-gasp game-winning shots.
But, there was only ever going to be one answer to the question –
WHO HAS THE MOST BUZZER-BEATERS IN NBA HISTORY?
The game-winner, world basketball legend extraordinaire added yet another achievement to his incredible repertoire and there he sits to this day.
