Who has the most game-winning buzzer-beaters in NBA history?
Some of the most memorable moments in the NBA have come as a result of buzzer-beating winners. Individual players often end up helping their teams to last-gasp victories that have been remembered for years.
LA Lakers legend Jerry West had initially cultivated a reputation for hitting buzzer-beaters and earned the nickname “Mr. Clutch.” He hit four buzzer-beaters in his career, with the most famous coming in Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals. Down two points against the New York Knicks, the Lakers star sunk his shot from almost 60-feet out to send the crowd into delirium.
However, back then, the three-point shot didn't exist in the NBA, which meant that the Lakers were only able to force the game into overtime, and ended up losing against the New York Knicks.
Who has the most buzzer-beaters in NBA history?
So far, the NBA has seen a total of 786 buzzer-beater winners. This includes some of the most memorable moments, including most recently Kawhi Leonard’s incredible game-winner for the Toronto Raptors during Game 7 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Older NBA fans might also remember Michael Jordan’s “The Shot” in Game 5 of the 1989 playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Over the years, many players have surpassed Jerry West's mark of four buzzer-beaters. In fact, a total of five players have hit at least seven game-winning shots. Only one of those five is still active in the NBA and he could finish his career with the most buzzer-beaters in the league’s history.
Let's look at the five NBA players who have made the most buzzer-beating shots in league history.
#5 Paul Pierce - Seven buzzer-beaters
Former NBA star Paul Pierce, who was known for his elite shooting, ended up registering seven buzzer-beaters in his career.
Paul Pierce spent a total of 19 seasons in the NBA and spent the majority of them with the Boston Celtics. He won his only NBA title in 2008 with the team and was also the Finals MVP.
In addition to hitting buzzer-beaters, Pierce also holds the record for being involved in the most buzzer-beaters in NBA history. He assisted five, in addition to scoring seven.
#4 LeBron James - Seven buzzer-beaters
The second player on this list is the LA Lakers’ LeBron James. The four-time NBA champion was criticized during the initial years of his career for lacking the “clutch gene.”
It took until his sixth season in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers for James to hit his first buzzer-beater. Over the years, LeBron James has hit a total of seven buzzer-beaters, with the latest coming back in May 2018 for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Playoffs.
He is yet to register a buzzer-beater for the LA Lakers.
#3 - Joe Johnson - Eight buzzer-beaters
Joe Johnson was a seven-time All-Star who had some of his best years playing for the Atlanta Hawks.
He last represented the Houston Rockets in the 2017-18 NBA season and has since not played professional basketball. “Iso-Joe” earned his nickname while playing for the Atlanta Hawks due to his clutch isolation plays, and finished his career with a total of eight buzzer-beaters.
#2 Kobe Bryant - Eight buzzer-beaters
The late, great Kobe Bryant is one of the biggest legends in the sport's history and is by far the greatest player in the history of the LA Lakers. He played for 20 seasons in the NBA and was an 18-time All-Star. He 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 Lakers. This most famously included a buzzer-beater during the first round of the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns back in 2006.
#1 Michael Jordan - 9 buzzer-beaters
Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player in NBA history. One among Jordan's innumerable NBA records is the mark for the most game-winning buzzer-beaters in league history with nine.
He is the only player alongside Damian Lillard to have ended two playoff series with buzzer-beaters. Both of Jordan’s series-ending shots came against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jordan's nine buzzer-beaters were more than twice as many as any other player had managed when he retired back in 2002. The record has since lost its air of invincibility, with LeBron James having a fair chance of overtaking Jordan by the time he finishes.
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