Ray Allen #34 of the Miami Heat makes a game-tying three-pointer over Tony Parker #9 of the San Antonio Spurs in the fourth quarter during Game Six of the 2013 NBA Finals at AmericanAirlines Arena on June 18, 2013 in Miami, Florida. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines—It’s a shot that saved a franchise, defined a legacy, and more importantly helped the Miami secure its third title in the NBA.
Ray Allen drained the game-tying three with 5.2 seconds left that sent Game 6 of the 2013 Finals between the Heat and San Antonio into overtime.
Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra, who had to manage the supernovas of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, watched in awe as Allen drained the corner triple off of Chris Bosh’s assist that ultimately allowed the Heat to become back-to-back champions in 2012 and 2013.
Allen’s shot was undoubtedly one of the greatest shots in NBA history, but for Spoelstra and the Heat it’s the undisputed best.
“Where does that moment rank for us, we always say it’s the greatest shot of all time,” said Spoelstra in an interview with Inside the NBA’s Ernie Johnson.
The shot made Allen a two-time champion and, as people would say, saved James’ legacy as one of the greatest ever to play in the NBA.
The Big 3, however, also had a crucial part in the Heat’s vital run in the final 30 seconds when they trailed the Spurs 94-89.
James had 16 points, on 7-of-10 shooting, in the fourth quarter, Wade hustled to keep Miami’s possession alive allowing The King to chuck up a three-pointer that put the Heat within two, 94-92, with 20.1 seconds left, and Bosh was grabbed an offensive rebound that he turned into an assist to Allen for the iconic corner triple.
Spoelstra said that Allen’s shot wasn’t just a moment of magic in the clutch, it was the result of a routine that the future Hall of Famer practiced behind closed doors.
“What I remember about this play is the first day Ray came into our building early September [of 2012] when we started to bring in guys for informal workouts before training camp and he was working on a rill with one of our coaches,” said Spoelstra.
“Ray would lay down on the far end of the key, pop up then pedal, he’d then ask the coach to throw him the ball. Ray, as he explained it, wanted to be able to back up, backpedal, and not have to look at his feet to know whether he’s in balance, but still behind the line, and he used to do it from the corners. It was so fitting that that was the shot.”