5. The shot:
Just this week, the NBA had aired one of the greatest finals game ever. This was Game 6 of the 2013 finals.
Everyone knows what happened here. The Miami Heat were on the brink of elimination versus the San Antonio Spurs.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Heat were down and it seemed over. To be specific, with around 23 seconds left, the Heat were still down by five points.
It was a done deal, the game seemed as if it was finished. The staff was starting to bring the championship banner, fans were leaving the game and then, the rest is history.
It all started with LeBron James making a 3-pointer to bring the game within a mere two points. Then, very fortunate for the Heat, Manu Ginobili missed a crucial free throw to extend the lead and once that happened, it was over.
As Mike Breen would have said it, “James catches, puts up a 3. Won’t go, rebound Bosh. Back out to Allen, his 3-pointer, BANG!” This, right here, was arguably the greatest clutch shot of all time and without this shot, the team and the league may have looked completely different from that point forward.
If Ray Allen does not make this shot, the Heat drop this game, plain and simple. Would that even change anything? Plenty.
For starters, the Heat would have been seen as a disappointment. After promising not two, not three, not four… but eight rings and only managing to land one in beating the then young core of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
This would certainly have encouraged the front office to make some changes, whether it was a trade to be made or a different signing. Regardless, this shot is the greatest shot in the franchise’s history as the reward was a championship.