Could a Boston Celtic actually have beaten out Michael Jordan as the most clutch player in league history?
It depends on how you define that quality — was Michael Jordan’s pass to hit an open Steve Kerr to sink the game-winner in Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals clutch? Had he taken it himself and missed, league history could be very different.
We all know The Truth is among the league’s most lethal late-clock players ever, but it might come to as a surprise to know he was the most clutch player in NBA history among players who either hit a buzzer-beater, or assisted one.
Our sister site HoopsHype put together a comprehensive list of such players, and legendary Celtics forward Paul Pierce was at the top of the list of the league’s most clutch players in history when taking into account not only clutch last-second shots but the assists that made them possible.
But who are Pierce’s peers in this rarified air?
While the usual suspects are clustered near the top as might be expected, there’s at least one other former Celtic who might surprise — so let’s take a look.
No. 1 – Paul Pierce – seven baskets and five assists
No. 2 – Michael Jordan – nine baskets and one assist
No. 3 (tie) – Kobe Bryant – eight baskets
No. 3 (tie) – Joe Johnson – eight baskets
No. 5 – LeBron James – seven baskets, one assist
