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

Most clutch player in Charlotte Hornets history: Alonzo Mourning

The Charlotte Hornets are a young franchise with a tumultuous history. Never has this team won it all, nor even been to the NBA Finals. In recent years Kemba Walker has hit big shots, but he has done so as part of a team that consistently underperforms in clutch moments.

Alonzo Mourning joined the Hornets as a rookie in 1992-93, and immediately became one of the best players on a team that punched into the playoffs. Although he played just three seasons in Charlotte, he was dominant at every point of the game, and especially in late game situations.

Key Moment: In his rookie season Mourning averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds on a team that won 44 games and made the playoffs. In the first round, they faced the Boston Celtics, playing without the recently-retired Larry Bird. Taking a 2-1 series lead into Game 4 of the best-of-five series, the Hornets found themselves down one point with just three seconds remaining.

Mourning catches the inbound pass at the top of the key, takes one dribble and then rises up facing the basket, knocking down the shot as the buzzer sounded. The Hornets won the game and the series, officially ending the Celtics’ run as an Eastern Conference power. Mourning scored 33 points in the closeout game, none bigger than the final two.