If you’ve ever sat through an NBA game that came down to the wire, you know the feeling. The crowd starts standing. The clock hits five, then three, then one. The ball hangs in the air just long enough for your heart to stop, then swish.
The most buzzer-beaters in NBA history are moments when a single shot rewrites everything. And if you live for that kind of chaos, it’s worth revisiting the NBA's greatest comeback games, where those same moments flipped entire seasons.
If you’ve ever sat through an NBA game that came down to the wire, you know the feeling. The crowd starts standing. The clock hits five, then three, then one. The ball hangs in the air just long enough for your heart to stop, then swish.
There’s no debate about who owns the top spot. Michael Jordan, the man who made clutch feel inevitable, leads everyone with nine career buzzer-beaters. That number might not sound huge at first, but think about the context: every one of those shots came with the world watching.
His most famous one, “The Shot” over Craig Ehlo in 1989, wasn’t just a game-winner; it was the moment the legend truly began. Then came the 1998 Finals against Utah, where he faked left, crossed over Bryon Russell, and hit that silky jumper to seal his sixth title. You could almost feel the world pause.
Pressure makes him sharper. That’s what separates him from everyone else in the greatest clutch moments in NBA history.
If Jordan wrote the script, Kobe picked it up and kept adding chapters. He’s tied for second with eight career buzzer-beaters, but his feel for the moment was different. For Kobe, it was personal.
That game-winner against Dwyane Wade’s Heat in 2009, where he shot the off-balance, a one-legged three-pointer that somehow banked in. Absolutely ridiculous. But that was Kobe. He believed in himself so profoundly that the impossible just seemed routine.
His NBA game-winning shots always carried a bit of emotion. That’s why even after his retirement and his tragic passing, those clutch moments still give fans chills.
With eight buzzer-beaters, LeBron is tied for second all-time, but his path there feels different. He’s the guy who breaks the play down like a chess move, finds his angle, and executes like it’s just another possession.
Think of the 2018 playoffs with that spinning bank shot over Toronto at the horn. Or his fadeaway against Orlando back in 2009, when he turned a sure loss into instant chaos.
People love to debate who’s more clutch, LeBron or Jordan, but maybe that’s missing the point. LeBron’s greatness is quieter, built on trust and timing rather than flash. He’s the definition of calm in the storm.
There’s something poetic about how Damian Lillard operates. He doesn’t have Jordan’s rings or LeBron’s frame, but when the clock’s dying, there’s no one you’d rather have holding the ball.
His eight career buzzer-beaters feel heavier than most because of when they happened. The series-clinching dagger against Oklahoma City in 2019 is burned into every NBA fan’s brain. That deep step-back three, followed by the coldest wave goodbye in basketball history. He’s made a career out of silencing arenas and turning clutch into something deeply personal.
Then there’s Joe Johnson, who’s maybe the most underrated clutch player ever. Also tied with eight buzzer-beaters, Johnson’s game was pure rhythm. Johnson was a walking mismatch, and he made a career out of cooking defenders with the same calm expression every time.
He didn’t need fanfare, highlight reels, or postgame quotes. He just delivered. That kind of poise deserves more credit when talking about the players with the most game winners in NBA history.
Here’s something people forget: being clutch doesn’t mean you never miss. Jordan, Kobe, and LeBron have all bricked plenty of would-be game-winners. But, they all kept shooting.
That’s what makes these players unforgettable. They don’t hide from the pressure — they chase it. They understand that greatness isn’t about perfection; it’s about the courage to fail in front of millions and still take that next shot.
When we talk about the most buzzer-beaters in NBA history, we’re not just talking about numbers. We’re talking about emotion. The silence before the swish, the roar that follows, and that feeling that you just witnessed something bigger than the game.
Those moments are what make basketball addictive. Because long after the clock hits zero, those memories don’t fade. They live in highlight reels, barbershop debates, and the collective pulse of fans who still believe that the next shot might just be the shot that will never be forgotten.
