Neither Lebron nor Curry: this is the player with the most buzzer beats in NBA history
A buzzer-beater shot is one of the most exciting ways to end an NBA game and though LeBron and Curry have had their fair share, neither is king.
The excitement of a buzzer-beater to end and win an NBA game can’t be beat (pun intended). And there are a few NBA legends who’ve given us that magic moment more than a few times.
But the player who’s given us that moment the most is not LeBron James or Stephen Curry, though they’ve both had their fair share of game-winners throughout their career. The title for the most in NBA history, however, goes to the legendary Michael Jordan.
MJ reigns as the NBA buzzer-beater champ
Michael Jordan had a record nine buzzer-beater game winners in his 15 seasons in the NBA. All but one were scored with the Chicago Bulls. The ninth and final buzzer-beater of his career, however, he scored with the Washington Wizards in January 2002.
After MJ, Kobe Bryant and Joe Johnson are tied for second with eight buzzer-beaters. Bryant played for 20 seasons in the NBA while Johnson played 17.
As for LeBron, he recently also tied for second with Kobe and Johnson with his last buzzer-beater coming on March 26, 2025 against the Indiana Pacers. Considering he’s the only current player of those four, King James still has the chance to claim the throne from MJ.
— dubs408 (@dubsvidstouse) March 27, 2025
That shot brought LeBron’s total to eight through his 22 seasons in the league. Five of his buzzer-beaters have come in the playoffs, more than any other player in NBA postseason history.
Players with the most buzzer-beaters in NBA history
| Player | Number of Buzzer Beaters |
|---|---|
| Michael Jordan | 9 |
| Kobe Bryant | 8 |
| Joe Johnson | 8 |
| LeBron James | 8 |
| Paul Pierce | 7 |
| Andre Iguodala | 5 |
| Gilbert Arenas | 5 |
| Dwyane Wade | 5 |
| Vince Carter | 5 |
| Kevin Garnett | 5 |
Notably, Steph Curry is missing from this list as he surprisingly has just one buzzer beater in his 16-season career in the NBA - in 2022 against the Houston Rockets. However, he does have nine game-winning shots with five seconds or less remaining, which is still pretty impressive.
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