Kyrie Irving Broke NBA Record With Game Winner vs. Nuggets

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving made NBA history with this shot
Kyrie Irving Broke NBA Record With Game Winner vs. Nuggets
Kyrie Irving Broke NBA Record With Game Winner vs. Nuggets /

The NBA world is still buzzing about Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving's incredible game winner to defeat the Denver Nuggets. Hitting a left-handed hook shot over the outstretched arm of Nikola Jokic, Irving pulled off one of the most incredible game winners ever, and made NBA history in the process.

According to Basketball Reference's StatHead, Irving's game winner on Sunday afternoon is the longest game-winning hook shot ever recorded. At 21-feet out, Irving's game winner is just the 11th record hook shot in league history from at least 20 feet, and the only one to win a game.

The NBA began tracking shot-specific data in 1996, so there is no way to officially track shots before that season, but Irving's buzzer beater is the longest game-winning hook shot in at least 28 years, and likely much longer than that.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported on Monday that Irving's buzzer beater was the second-longest hook shot in the NBA this season, only behind an alley-oop pass from Irving earlier this season that accidentally went in. That shot of course was not also a game-winning buzzer beater like the one he intentionally took and made on Sunday. 

While nobody needs any specific stats or data to appreciate this shot from Irving, it is still fun to see just how rare such a shot is, and especially in that moment.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.