NBA playoffs feature rare moment like Michael Jordan in 1989.

The Myth of Michael Jordan

Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a name that has been etched into the annals of NBA history. Widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time, Jordan’s career was full of iconic moments that have been mythologized over the years.

Winning six-of-six NBA Finals, with six NBA Finals MVP awards, is just one of the many feathers in Jordan’s cap. He has also won numerous accolades and awards, not to mention his individual iconic moments, like the 1987 NBA Slam Dunk Contest or the shrug against the Portland Trailblazers in the 1992 NBA Finals.

But many consider the first of Jordan’s iconic playoff moments, and the true ascent of his dynastic Chicago Bulls, to be “The Shot” against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 1989 Eastern Conference Playoffs. This moment was iconic enough to get its own Wikipedia entry.

The Shot

That game saw Jordan and his Bulls bounce the higher-seeded Cavaliers off of a buzzer-beater for the ages. For over 30 years, “The Shot” stood as the last time an NBA player sank a game-winning shot with time expiring while facing elimination and his team trailing in the game. (The Bulls trailed 100-99 before Jordan hit the jumper.)

Fast forward 34 years, and NBA fans finally have another shot like that — albeit one that is somehow still remarkably different than Jordan’s.

Forty-seven minutes and 59.8 seconds into Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday, the Miami Heat held a 103-102 lead over the Boston Celtics. A win would’ve propelled the Heat to the NBA Finals and eliminated the Celtics.

Instead, there will be a Game 7 in Boston on Monday.

What happened in that literal split-second? Boston guard Derrick White sank a game-winning shot with time expiring while facing elimination and his team trailing.

DERRICK WHITE SENDS THE EAST FINALS BACK TO BOSTON FOR GAME 7!

HE WINS IT FOR THE CELTICS AT THE BUZZER #TissotBuzzerBeater | #TimingEmotions pic.twitter.com/ybUb5CT6l1

— NBA (@NBA) May 28, 2023

ESPN also noted the historical similarity between White’s scampering tip-in and Jordan’s iconic shot:

Derrick White is the 2nd player in NBA history to make a game-winning buzzer-beater when facing elimination and his team trailed prior to the shot.

The other player to do this? Michael Jordan in 1989 vs the Cavaliers.

h/t @bball_ref pic.twitter.com/kQA6mJrOee

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 28, 2023

Regardless, with White’s historic shot forcing a Game 7, the two teams will meet on Monday, with the NBA Finals beginning just three days later in Denver.

The well-rested Nuggets have not played since May 22, after sweeping LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

If the Celtics complete the first 0-3 series comeback in NBA history, White’s shot will be an iconic piece of that inevitable sports documentary. If the Heat are able to steal a win in Boston, White’s shot will be little more than a footnote.

But for now, let’s revel in the fact that we have witnessed a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment in NBA playoffs that is the first of its kind since Michael Jordan’s iconic shot in 1989.

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