SUMMARY
- LeBron James made a phenomenal buzzer-beater against the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals.
- King James recently broke down the play which he ended with a three-pointer.
LeBron James is not a name that comes to our minds when we think of game-winners. But the superstar has led his team to victory in stunning fashion on many occasions since making his debut 21 years ago. From day one until now, he still has the same hunger to help his team win, and that has been the key to the four NBA championship rings LeBron boasts.
One of the most famous game-winning shots in NBA history would be LeBron’s buzzer-beater against the Orlando Magic. The Cleveland Cavaliers faced the Magic in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals. This was the clash of the Titans at the time, as the Cavs were the first seed that year, and the Magic finished in third.
In Game 1, Rashard Lewis helped the Magic bag a narrow win with a buzzer-beater. The Magic beat the 100-98 after Lewis sunk a turnaround three with ease. Witnessing this right from the start certainly made it seem like we had a proper series on our hands. And that was when the Cavs delivered the same in the next game. The scoreboard said 93-95 with just one second on the clock.
Mo Williams had the ball on the line, waiting for a door to open. That was when one man, pulled up clutch for his team and made a phenomenal three-pointer over Hedo Türkoğlu.
LeBron James admits the famous game-winner wasn’t even supposed to happen
LeBron is currently collaborating with former NBA star JJ Reddick for the ‘Mind The Game’ podcast. The two basketball geniuses have been explaining the beautiful game to inspire millions of young fans around the world, and that’s certainly what they have been doing. In a recent episode, LeBron shed some light on the famous moment behind the game-winner.
.@KingJames and @jj_redick break down LeBron’s game-winner in Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals.
Watch the full episode: https://t.co/dsz0LVE2nW pic.twitter.com/HlkkfN3S5k
— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) April 17, 2024
When Reddick pointed out that LeBron did not receive a screen on the play, the King admitted that he wasn’t even supposed to. He said, “The play was supposed to fake up and go backdoor for a lob. And Turk played it perfectly. So I faked up and I tried to go back for the lob and I said, ‘It’s not open.’ So I just came to the ball. And Turk f*cked that up.”
James claims that the play was supposed to end with him making a lob. But Hedo Türkoğlu locked the door closed and left no room for LeBron. That was when he moved back to the line to collect a pass from Mo Williams, and let it fly almost instantly. Two Magic players, including Hedo tried to block the shot but it was almost as if LeBron was destined to sink the shot that day.
The Cavs went on to lose the series to the Orlando Magic in 2009
The 2009 Eastern Conference Finals series was one of the best performances from King James. In six games, James put up 38.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 8.0 assists. Everything LeBron touched turned to gold in the series, but he still wasn’t able to lead the Cavs to a win. The Magic took the next two games and made it 3-1.
But the Cavs tried to repair the damage with a Game 5 win which ultimately wasn’t enough as well. The Magic got the job done in Game 6, winning the series 4-2. Dwight Howard was the best player for the team that year, averaging 25.8 points, 13 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.
The Magic then faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 NBA Finals, but failed to break down the legendary team. Kobe Bryant was truly phenomenal that series, averaging 32.4 points. The Black Mamba won his fourth championship with the Lakers, after beating the Magic 4-1 in the finals. That was the last time the Magic traveled that far, and they haven’t been able to replicate their own success.