Ranking the 10 greatest plays of the 2022-23 NBA season including LeBron James' record-breaking shot
Like every other NBA season, the 2022-23 edition provided some stellar plays for fans to witness, including LeBron James' shot that made him the all-time leading scorer.
These moments made it to the highlight reels once the season wrapped up, offering fans a chance to rewatch them and remember the unpredictable year it turned out to be.
Ranking 2022-23 NBA season's 10 greatest plays
The 2022-23 NBA season was stacked with impressive plays. That made it increasingly tough to pick only a few moments that stood out. However, we selected 10 plays we believed were arguably the greatest of the year.
From clutch game-winners, thunderous dunks, unbelievable dimes and ankle breakers that stunned everyone, here are the 10 best plays of the 2022-23 season ranked.
#1 LeBron James' record-breaking shot
LeBron James hit a midrange jumper over Kenrich Williams of the OKC Thunder to break Kareem-Abdul Jabbar's longstanding record as the NBA's all-time leading scorer. Here's the clip of that play:
#2 Kevin Durant's nasty ankle breaker on Daniel Gafford
Kevin Durant was in his bag during a regular-season game against the Washington Wizards while with the Brooklyn Nets. The former MVP sent the Capital One arena into a frenzy when he pulled off a nasty crossover against Daniel Gafford, who did a full split after KD's move.
#3 Luka Doncic's impossible pass
Luka Doncic's vision is one of his most lethal skills. The Dallas Mavericks star created a 3-point opportunity out of nowhere when he dished a baseline pass while being double-teamed to Jaden Hardy on the opposite corner during a regular season game against the Indiana Pacers.
#4 De'Aaron Fox logo game-winner Orlando
De'Aaron Fox, the NBA's inaugural Clutch Player of the Year award recipient, produced some memorable magic moments with the clock winding down. His best play came during a game against the Orlando Magic when he hit a game-winning logo shot to seal the win for the Kings in overtime.
#5 Luka Doncic's game-tying shot vs Knicks
"Luka Magic" is the only player to make a second appearance on this list. En route to his historic 60-point, 21-rebound, 10-assist game against the Knicks, Doncic turned the game on its head.
The Mavs were down two with four seconds, with Luka at the free-throw line. Making the shot would've cut the lead to one but would have given New York the possession with four seconds. Doncic had to miss the shot and hope to tip it in, which is what he did exactly.
#6 Paul George 360 slam dunk vs OKC
Paul George turned on the heat with a mid-game slam dunk performance against the OKC Thunder. The LA Clippers star made a backdoor cut to attack the rim and ended up producing a 360 dunk, sending fans at the Crypto.com Arena into wild celebrations. Even the usually neutral Kawhi Leonard couldn't help but give a reaction to George's play.
#7 AJ Griffin's turnaround game-winner vs Bulls
Hawks rookie AJ Griffin got himself on the highlight reel after producing multiple game-winners for the team. During a game against the Bulls, Griffin converted a mid-air 360 layup off an inbounds play with 0.5 seconds left in OT. Yes, 0.5 seconds!
#8 D'Angelo Russell puts Mike Conley on skates
D'Angelo Russell embarrassed veteran point guard Mike Conley after her putting him on skates to hit a game-tying shot to force OT during a game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz.
#9 Zion Williamson's 360-slam dunk against Suns
Zion Williamson re-ignited the Pelicans-Suns budding rivalry that stemmed from their 2022 NBA playoffs clash after slamming home a 360-windmill dunk to send the home crowd into a frenzy. Players for both camps nearly came to a blow as Zion breached an unsaid rule of not scoring with the win just seconds away. The dunk still made the highlight reel and our list, though.
#10 Ziaire Williams banks a full-court shot buzzer beater
Ziaire Williams' best highlight of his NBA career was when he threw a Hail Mary from near full court to bank an end-of-the-quarter buzzer-beater shot against the Phoenix Suns.