Bill Simmons on Ray: "Greatest Shot I've Ever Seen"

[Gurleyman]

He said he's going to write about it at some point to put it in context, but he was talking with Zach Lowe on his Podcast and said it was the greatest shot he's ever seen, due to the footwork getting behind the line combined with the pressure of the situation.

It's a little over an hour into the Podcast - he and Zach Lowe both gave him the ultimate respect: that when they saw Ray was going to get the ball, they knew it was going in:

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=9460486

 

[UConn990411]

When it comes to the greatest shots ever, Jordan's Game 6 game-winner is obviously the first one that comes to mind.

But that was in a Game 6 where the Bulls were ahead in the series. When you factor in that Ray's 3-pointer was ultimately the difference between winning and losing the NBA championship, there's a case to be made that it was the best shot of all time.

 

[ucinnc]

I'd rank his shot against Georgetown over that one.

 

[Kitaman]

He said he's going to write about it at some point to put it in context, but he was talking with Zach Lowe on his Podcast and said it was the greatest shot he's ever seen, due to the footwork getting behind the line combined with the pressure of the situation.

It's a little over an hour into the Podcast - he and Zach Lowe both gave him the ultimate respect: that when they saw Ray was going to get the ball, they knew it was going in:

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=9460486

I'd rank your sig pic over Ray's everyday.

 

[Gurleyman]

The whole 1:20 podcast (they sure do talk a lot) was an NBA discussion, so I'm sure they weren't considering all the college shots (such as Jordan, Smart, Charles, Chalmers in title games). Kemba's shot was awesome - with the added plus of the "timber" moment. For pure "holy crap, did I just see that?"-ness, I'd rank Kemba's higher too.

But it's the combination of the shot and the stakes that makes Ray's rise to the top in many folks' minds. If Ray missed, the ropes go up, they hand out the trophy, and the season's over. And it wasn't a simple spot up and shoot moment (such as Paxson or Horry's winners) - he had to retreat to the line and get on balance, which he did so effortlessly and quickly that Parker couldn't do anything serious to contest the shot other than slide in under Ray's legs.

I'll be curious to see what Simmons writes - as much as he annoys some people, he has studied the game pretty thoroughly. He did say it was the greatest shot he'd ever seen and was going to try to come up with a list of greatest plays - which means other things like Bird to DJ vs Detroit, Reggie at the Garden, maybe Olajuwon blocking Starks to seal Game 6 or Havlicek stealing the ball. Maybe he'll rethink Kareem in 1974 or Magic's hook or Jordan in Utah.

 

[nomar]

The whole 1:20 podcast (they sure do talk a lot) was an NBA discussion, so I'm sure they weren't considering all the college shots (such as Jordan, Smart, Charles, Chalmers in title games). Kemba's shot was awesome - with the added plus of the "timber" moment. For pure "holy crap, did I just see that?"-ness, I'd rank Kemba's higher too.

But it's the combination of the shot and the stakes that makes Ray's rise to the top in many folks' minds. If Ray missed, the ropes go up, they hand out the trophy, and the season's over. And it wasn't a simple spot up and shoot moment (such as Paxson or Horry's winners) - he had to retreat to the line and get on balance, which he did so effortlessly and quickly that Parker couldn't do anything serious to contest the shot other than slide in under Ray's legs.

I'll be curious to see what Simmons writes - as much as he annoys some people, he has studied the game pretty thoroughly. He did say it was the greatest shot he'd ever seen and was going to try to come up with a list of greatest plays - which means other things like Bird to DJ vs Detroit, Reggie at the Garden, maybe Olajuwon blocking Starks to seal Game 6 or Havlicek stealing the ball. Maybe he'll rethink Kareem in 1974 or Magic's hook or Jordan in Utah.

It was a great shot, obviously. One of the greatest in NBA history. But this is a guy who'll write that a random episode of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge was the greatest hour of television since the M*A*S*H finale. He tends to get a little hyperbolic.

 

[RichZ]

I suspect that the fact that Riley brought Ray in specifically to make that shot if/when the need arose adds to the aura of the whole situation.

 

[Deepster]

He said he's going to write about it at some point to put it in context, but he was talking with Zach Lowe on his Podcast and said it was the greatest shot he's ever seen, due to the footwork getting behind the line combined with the pressure of the situation.

It's a little over an hour into the Podcast - he and Zach Lowe both gave him the ultimate respect: that when they saw Ray was going to get the ball, they knew it was going in:

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/grantland/player?id=9460486

In 33-34 yrs of watching UConn hoops, Rip Hamilton and Ray Allen are the only two players I thought the ball was going in EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY SHOT. Rashad Anderson, on a roll, could elicit that feeling for a stretch, but Rip and Ray NEVER took a shot I felt was an automatic miss.

 

[RichZ]

Rashard Anderson, on a roll, could elicit that feeling for a stretch,

Rashard could make a tackle, but as a corner, to only have one interception -- probably not the greatest leaper. Sadly, we really know nothing of his jump shot.

Rashad Anderson on the other hand...

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

Donyell as a Junior gave me that feeling. Until the end of that Florida game, anyway.

 

[Gurleyman]

I actually came up with the following list of big shots from the Finals after bouncing around this topic on NBA boards last month. I'm perhaps leaving something out from the 40s or 50s.

Game 7 Daggers (there haven't been many big Game 7 moments): LeBron vs Spurs, Don Nelson high of the rim vs Lakers, Ron Artest vs Celtics.

Game 6 Series Winners - Jordan vs Utah, Kerr vs Utah, Paxson vs Suns

Game 6 Series Savers - Ray vs Spurs, Kareem vs Celtics (1974)

Game 5 Series Winner - Vinnie Johnson vs Blazers

Game 5 Series Swinger - Horry vs Pistons

Game 4 Series Swingers - Magic vs Celtics, Sam Jones vs Lakers (1969), Fisher vs Orlando

Miraculous shots that forced OT but didn't change outcome of game: Gar Heard vs Celts (1976), Jerry West vs Knicks (1970)

Best Shots from earlier playoff rounds (partial list - certainly missing some good older stuff): Sampson vs Lakers, Fisher with 0.4 left vs Spurs, Horry vs Kings, Elie vs Suns, Stockton vs Rockets, Billups 35 footer, Jordan vs Cavs, Larry Johnson 4-point play, Bird to DJ, Reggie over Jordan (or his two threes at MSG).

If you only talk finals and whittle it down a little, I'd say it probably is a battle between Jordan, Ray, Kareem and Magic for the biggest shot ever made. And Ray might win that vote - even fighting an uphill battle against the iconic names on that list (Kareem's team lost anyway, Magic was only Game 4). The stakes were at a maximum, and the shot had a high degree of difficulty. Only negative is that the Heat still had to win in OT and take Game 7 for it to be meaningful. Jordan ended it (well, almost - Stockton had a good look he had to miss first).

Someday, we'll have a true buzzer beater to win a Game 6 or 7 that'll trump it.

 

[8893]

Rashad Anderson, on a roll, could elicit that feeling for a stretch,

I don't think I've ever been more confident that a one of our guys was going to hit a shot in a big moment than I was when Rashad stepped to the free throw line in the closing moments against Duke in 2004. It seemed like he was born to take those shots; they were the only thing I was certain of in that whole game.

 

[Gurleyman]

I don't think I've ever been more confident that a one of our guys was going to hit a shot in a big moment than I was when Rashad stepped to the free throw line in the closing moments against Duke in 2004. It seemed like he was born to take those shots; they were the only thing I was certain of in that whole game.

I felt good about Khalid in 1999, but then he sort of fumbled the ball on his first dribble and I lost all confidence. But that moment was just so tense. For the youngsters who were but wee lads and lasses at the time, I would try to describe it, but I'd fail.

Of course, even more tense was when K-Free went to the line against Gonzaga. His twin swishes finally ended the worst 39:55 of a sporting event in my lifetime.

 

[8893]

I felt good about Khalid in 1999, but then he sort of fumbled the ball on his first dribble and I lost all confidence. But that moment was just so tense. For the youngsters who were but wee lads and lasses at the time, I would try to describe it, but I'd fail.

Of course, even more tense was when K-Free went to the line against Gonzaga. His twin swishes finally ended the worst 39:55 of a sporting event in my lifetime.

Agree on all. '99 felt like a state of suspended animation for the entire game.

My intestines still get knotted just thinking about the pain that was the Gonzaga game.

 

[Gurleyman]

Agree on all. '99 felt like a state of suspended animation for the entire game.

My intestines still get knotted just thinking about the pain that was the Gonzaga game.

Rip's performance against Gonzaga deserves to be in the pantheon of greatest games by a Husky ever. Losing that game would have had us all suicidal (I have never felt more "we have to win this game" pressure as a fan ever), Khalid was off in la-la land (0-for-12, couldn't guard Quentin Hall), and all Rip did was shoot 9-14 with difficult shots against a box-and-one, and have two clutch dump-down passes to Jake for layups in the final 2-3 minutes.

The box score doesn't show how huge he was - because if he was even slightly off his game, Gonzaga wins, and Dogfather would have quietly had his pizza without ever needing a trial. The entire arc of Boneyard history would have changed.

 

[Inyatkin]

I felt good about Khalid in 1999, but then he sort of fumbled the ball on his first dribble and I lost all confidence. But that moment was just so tense. For the youngsters who were but wee lads and lasses at the time, I would try to describe it, but I'd fail.

Of course, even more tense was when K-Free went to the line against Gonzaga. His twin swishes finally ended the worst 39:55 of a sporting event in my lifetime.

It's sort of lost to history now, but we really could have lost that Gonzaga game, and a loss there would've been, I don't know, the worst loss in the history of sports. Or close to it, anyway.

 

[intlzncster]

Rip's performance against Gonzaga deserves to be in the pantheon of greatest games by a Husky ever. Losing that game would have had us all suicidal (I have never felt more "we have to win this game" pressure as a fan ever), Khalid was off in la-la land (0-for-12, couldn't guard Quentin Hall), and all Rip did was shoot 9-14 with difficult shots against a box-and-one, and have two clutch dump-down passes to Jake for layups in the final 2-3 minutes.

The box score doesn't show how huge he was - because if he was even slightly off his game, Gonzaga wins, and Dogfather would have quietly had his pizza without ever needing a trial. The entire arc of Boneyard history would have changed.

Greatest half for me was Emeka's 2nd half against Duke in the FF. I don't even know the numbers, but I do remember a man possessed and thinking "he's doing it. he's doing it!". Immortal stuff for me.

 

[Ts5034]

Greatest half for me was Emeka's 2nd half against Duke in the FF. I don't even know the numbers, but I do remember a man possessed and thinking "he's doing it. he's doing it!". Immortal stuff for me.

The Duke game in 2004 was probably the most emotional UConn game ive seen and I dont think ive ever been more happy/relieved after a win then I was that night.

 

[intlzncster]

The Duke game in 2004 was probably the most emotional UConn game ive seen and I dont think ive ever been more happy/relieved after a win then I was that night.

Still remember Emeka walking down the court with his arms raised over his head palming the ball (after being fouled possibly).

 

[Hoophound]

Still remember Emeka walking down the court with his arms raised over his head palming the ball (after being fouled possibly).[/quote/]


Yep. He missed the first but made the second to put us up 4 with 3- 5 seconds to go.

 

[tzznandrew]

Yep. He missed the first but made the second to put us up 4 with 3- 5 seconds to go.

Good thing, too, because Duhon hit that depressed 3.

Obviously there would have been more pressure defense on him, but still.

 

[Drumguy]

In 33-34 yrs of watching UConn hoops, Rip Hamilton and Ray Allen are the only two players I thought the ball was going in EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY SHOT. Rashad Anderson, on a roll, could elicit that feeling for a stretch, but Rip and Ray NEVER took a shot I felt was an automatic miss.

Ummmm... Have to add Kemba to that list ... he was money in the bank.

 

[Inyatkin]

Losing to Duke in 04 would've been awful, but we had a title to fall back on by then. Not the case against Gonzaga. It's the reason Mississippi State in 96 remains my all-time worst UConn loss. We didn't even have a Final Four at that point.

 

[intlzncster]

Losing to Duke in 04 would've been awful, but we had a title to fall back on by then. Not the case against Gonzaga. It's the reason Mississippi State in 96 remains my all-time worst UConn loss. We didn't even have a Final Four at that point.

True, but when you are 'supposed' to win it, it is gut wrenching. Hello 2006, I see you.

What I liked about the Emeka game, is that it was the ultimate justification of JC's grit and balls, to bench a guy with 2 fouls in the first, even if he's the best player on the floor (and in the country). I believe K chose the opposite and lost. So glorious.

 

[Waquoit]

What I liked about the Emeka game, is that it was the ultimate justification of JC's grit and balls, to bench a guy with 2 fouls in the first, even if he's the best player on the floor (and in the country). I believe K chose the opposite and lost. So glorious.

Overrated move, IMO. He did the same thing to Caron and blew a winnable game to the eventual NC.

 

[SixRings]

Ummmm... Have to add Kemba to that list ... he was money in the bank.

Agree... but only his Junior season and towards the tourney when it began (when the Earth shuttered on its axis)