Each NBA team’s most clutch player of all-time

Most clutch player in Miami Heat history: Ray Allen

There are players who hit more clutch shots than Ray Allen for the Miami Heat, considering he played just two seasons in a reserve role for Miami. Dwyane Wade has played nearly his entire career in Miami and hit a number of big shots. LeBron James led the Heat to four straight NBA Finals. Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal — there are a number of great players to have plyed their craft near the end of games for Miami.

Yet the greatest single play in Miami Heat history — and one of the greatest in all of basketball history — was made by Allen, and for that he deserves recognition. He was a major part of the Heat winning their second title, a turning point that could have changed the path of NBA history in significant ways.

Key Moment: In Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs were locked into a tight affair. The Spurs were up three games to two, meaning the Heat had to win or they were eliminated. A rock right of a contest saw the Spurs up three late, and LeBron James fired a 3-pointer than missed the mark. What happened next is part of NBA lore.

Chris Bosh secures the rebound among a sea of Spurs players, and Ray Allen immediately begins backpedaling towards the corner. By the time he receives the pass he is moving behind the line, and he launches up a 3-pointer with the entire Spurs team watching him. The muscle memory and body control required to make such a shot is nothing short of incredible.

Because of Allen’s clutch shot the Heat were able to win in overtime and again in Game 7, winning their second title in as many years. Allen retired after the next season, but his signature moment lives on.