Most basketball players will never suit up for any game with actual basketball odds, but two popular names are often the go-to scream when firing off a potential game-winning shot.
“Kobe!” Or, “MJ!”
There’s a reason for that. Both players rank highly on the list of players with the most game-winning shots in the history of the league.
Most Game Winners In NBA History
| Rank | Player | Number of Buzzer Beaters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jordan | 9 |
| T-2 | Kobe Bryant | 8 |
| T-2 | Joe Johnson | 8 |
| T-2 | LeBron James | 8 |
| 5 | Paul Pierce | 7 |
| T-6 | Andre Iguodala | 5 |
| T-6 | Gilbert Arenas | 5 |
| T-6 | Dwyane Wade | 5 |
| T-6 | Vince Carter | 5 |
| T-6 | Kevin Garnett | 5 |
| T-11 | Harrison Barnes | 4 |
| T-11 | Damian Lillard | 4 |
| T-11 | Rudy Gay | 4 |
| T-11 | Monta Ellis | 4 |
| T-11 | Mo Williams | 4 |
| T-11 | Jerry Stackhouse | 4 |
| T-11 | Chuck Person | 4 |
| T-11 | John Stockton | 4 |
| T-11 | Bill Laimbeer | 4 |
| T-11 | Larry Bird | 4 |
| T-11 | Greg Ballard | 4 |
| T-11 | World B. Free | 4 |
| T-11 | Jerry West | 4 |
| T-11 | Cliff Hagan | 4 |
| T-11 | Carl Braun | 4 |
Who Has the Most Buzzer Beaters In NBA History?
Unsurprisingly, Michael Jordan has more career buzzer-beaters than anyone else in NBA history.Â
While the first eight came as a member of the Chicago Bulls, his final game-winning shot came in January 2002 as a member of the Wizards. Washington beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-92.
His Airness
Two of Jordan’s most memorable game-winners came at the expense of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1989 playoffs, where he sent the Cavs home with his legendary free-throw jumper over Craig Ehlo.Â
Several years later, Jordan replicated this jump shot over Bryon Russell to seal Chicago’s three-peat title run in 1998 against the Utah Jazz.
Kobe Bryant and Joe Johnson
Tied at the number two spot are Kobe Bryant and Joe Johnson, who have eight game-winning shots in their 20 and 17 seasons, respectively. One of the most memorable shots of Kobe Bryant’s career was his game-winning three-point shot against the Miami Heat in December 2009.
The Lakers were down by two points with 3.2 seconds remaining when Ron Artest inbounded the ball to Kobe, who managed to shoot the basketball over the outstretched arms of Dwyane Wade and banked the three-point shot to win it for Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Joe Johnson mustered five of his eight game-winners while he was with the Brooklyn Nets and two when he was a member of the Atlanta Hawks. The biggest clutch shot of his career was with the Utah Jazz when he scored a floater against the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 1 of the 2017 playoffs.
Utah eventually won that series, 4-3, to advance to the second round.
How Many Game Winners Does LeBron Have?
LeBron James now has eight career game-winning shots, with the most recent coming against the Pacers on March 26, 2025.
LEBRON JAMES GAME WINNER. 🔥🔥🔥
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 27, 2025
LeBron Still Has Time
The ‘’King’’ could one day take the record from Michael Jordan. Currently, LeBron has eight game-winning shots through 22 seasons of play. There is a chance he might be the leader in this category once he concludes his career.
Five of James’ seven buzzer-beaters have come in the playoffs, which is more than any other player in the history of the NBA postseason.
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