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Michael Jordan Over Bryon Russell: Is Shot to Beat Jazz in Game 6 of 1998 NBA Finals the Best Ever?

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The Last Dance, of course, relived Michael Jordan's greatest moments, including the shot over Bryon Russell in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals that bested the Utah Jazz and ended that Chicago Bulls run as well. But was it actually the best shot in NBA history?

I asked our Ben Pickman and "The Fantasy Exec" Corey Parson for their takes.

Parson for no: I'm gonna go against it being the best shot in history. Listen, we all figured a legacy shot was coming at some point. Let's remember, the shot was taken in game six. You knew Michael Jordan was going to have an iconic moment in the series, but if he missed that shot, he could've just came back and got it done in game seven. I like shots with more finality to them. You look at Kawhi Leonard last year, that play might be the biggest moment in Canadian sports history, not to mention the fact it sent them to the championship round. You look at Magic Johnson's skyhook in game four. Yeah, it didn't end the series, but it kind of did end that Boston Celtics run. And obviously what Kyrie Irving did in game seven against the Golden State Warriors. I would say Kyrie's is the best shot in NBA history. The degree of difficulty, the finality of it. Not to mention the fact it was done against, in my opinion, the greatest team of all time.

Pickman for yes:  I mean, I think degree of difficulty is certainly higher on that Kyrie Irving shot. But let's look at that Bryon Russell shot one more time. There certainly was finality to it. This is the last great on-court moment that Michael Jordan has and it is hitting the shot to win the NBA Finals, clinching it. Now, I understand that John Stockton did have a chance to answer. But if you look at the iconic nature of the shot in modern times, think about how in The Last Dance they played the shot again like four or five times on replay, they also broke down still frames. It was one of the great moments of the documentary. And I think that was probably on purpose as you want Jordan's lasting memory to be that on-court memory. And so certainly for its iconic and famous nature, I would go with this shot over anything else.

Verdict: In the most literal sense, it is certainly not the best shot ever. Jordan had hit the shot so many times before. And there are plenty of others that were more difficult and perhaps even more significant. I would put Kyrie's and Ray Allen's on that list.

However, sometimes, none of that matters. MJ's final Bulls shot is probably the most iconic moment in his career and the perfect narrative ending. 

So, with that in mind, I'm liable to go Michael...Jordan...Game 6.