The NBA has experienced a large amount of amazing players, teams, and coaches throughout the years. In many games, magic simply happens on the court. We compiled a list of the most memorable and historic NBA moments ever. Enjoy!
Lebron James Returns to Cleveland
In a controversial decision, Lebron James left his home team of Cleveland to play for the Miami Heat. He wanted to “make magic” with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. After winning two championships with them, he decided to return to the Cavaliers and lead them to an NBA Championship.
Lebron-Returns-to-Cleveland
Allen Iverson Crossed Over Michael Jordan
Allen Iverson was just beginning his rookie season with the Philadelphia 76ers. On March 12, 1997 he knew he was going to face his role model, Michael Jordan. During the game, he crossed over Jordan leaving him stumbling. The crossover was incredibly fast and will be forever remembered as a great moment in NBA history.
Iverson-Crosses-Over-Jordan
Vince Carter’s Dunk Contest
The NBA Slam Dunk Contest or the Verizon Slam Dunk Contest started in the early 80s and occurred during the NBA All- Star Weekend. In the early and later 1990s many players lost interest in competing. There was no contest in 1999. In 2000, the NBA decided to bring back the contest and Vince Carter won!
Vince-Carter-Slam-Dunk-Contest
Kobe Bryant Scores 81 Points
Kobe Bryant had an amazing game on January 22, 2006 against the Toronto Raptors. He scored the second highest points total in NBA history: 81. Nothing short of amazing!
Kobe-Scores-81-Points
The Spurs Bring Back Team Basketball
After losing the title the year before to the Miami Heat, in a rematch in 2014 they won big! The reason behind their success in this game and in general was due to amazing teamwork which their coach, Greg Popovic mandated.
The-Spurs
Reggie Miller Scores 8 Points in 9 Seconds
Reggie Miller made NBA history when on May 7, 1995 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals when he scored eight points in nine seconds to lead his team, the Indiana Pacers to beat the New York Knicks.
Reggie-Miller
Isaiah Thomas
Isaiah Thomas who played during an amazing time for the Detroit Pistons, scored an incredible 25 points in a single quarter of Game 6 of the NBA finals. They still lost the game to the LA Lakers, but what an amazing performance from Isaiah!
Isaiah-Thomas
Michael Jordan Kills It Despite Having The Flu
Despite having the flu, Michael Jordan gave a historic performance in the 1997 finals against the Utah Jazz. He scored 38 points despite being sick, leading his team to victory.
Jordan-Beats-The-Jazz
Wilt Chamberlain Scores 100 Points
Wilt Chamerlain scored the most points in NBA history. In 1962 he scored 100 points. There wasn’t even a three-point line then!
Wilt-Chamberlain
The Lakers In The Early 2000s
Phil Jackson led the LA Lakers to win three consecutive championships between 2000 and 2002. Having Shaquielle O’Neal and Kobe Bryant on the team was just as critical as Jackson’s solid coaching.
Phil-Jackson
Magic Johnson’s Baby Sky-Hook
Magic Johnson had an amazing moment during Game 4 of the 1987 finals series against the Boston Celtics. He took a last-gasp hook shot to secure the victory. Now the move is named “baby sky-hook” and it was one of his signature moves.
Baby-Sky-Hook
The ’86 Celtics
Often referred to as one of the best teams in the history of the NBA, the 1986 Celtics were packed with great players. Some were Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, and of course Larry Bird. They took big wins easily over some of the best teams that year including the Bulls, Bucks, and the Hawks.
86-Celtics
Ron Artest Starts A Brawl
One of the craziest and most controversial moments ever was the brawl that occurred between the Indiana Pacers, Pistons, and fans. Ron Artest was hit by a beer cup, and then retaliated by entering the crowd and punching the wrong fan. This led to a fight between both teams and some fans.
Ron-Artest
Lebron Joins The Heat
Lebron James left his home team and decided to move to the Miami Heat. He made the announcement on a 1 hour long television special much to the dismay of his previous coaches, employer and fans.
Lebron-Joins-The-Heat
Michal Jordan’s Final Shot
Michael Jordan had an amazing career. He won a total of six NBA Championships! The most memorable moment in NBA history was when during the final championship in 1998. Jordan scored the winning shots with just seconds remaining in Game 6. His arms were outstretched, and he had a look on his face as if he knew he would make the shot. Now this image is historic. This was certainly one of the most perfect moments in basketball history.
Jordans-Last-Shot