Mar 17, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Kyrie Irving's dagger is still the shot of the century

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 4:45 PM ET

Kyrie Irving hit arguably the biggest shot in NBA history when he hit a three over Stephen Curry on the right wing to put the Cleveland Cavaliers up by four over the Golden State Warriors in the closing seconds.

Brad Botkin of CBS Sports recently published a list of the 25 most iconic shots of the last 25 years, and to no one's suprise, Irving shot topped the list.

"To be down 3-1 against a 73-win team and come back to win the championship on a shot like this? Wow," Botkin wrote.

"That's the shot every kid dreams up in the driveway. Game 7. Tie score. One on one against the MVP. All the weight of a championship drought in Cleveland that had lasted well over half a century resting on your shoulders, and you rise up and stick that kind of dagger? Say what you want about Kyrie, but this was, is, and forever will be one of the NBA's most legendary shots."

Irving has already hit a few iconic shots in his brief time with the Dallas Mavericks, including a left-handed floater from the free-throw line at the buzzer to beat the Denver Nuggets, but those weren't included. He even made a few iconic shots in the 2024 playoffs, including one late in Game 6 of the Oklahoma City Thunder that bounced off the rim, went high up in the air, and fell.

Two Mavericks Shots Included

There were two shots in Mavericks history that were included. At 25 was Dirk Nowitzki's winner in Game 2 of the 2011 Finals.

"Dallas was well on its way to going down 2-0 in the 2011 Finals as Miami's Big 3 had raced out to a 15-point lead with just over seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter," Botkins explained. "The Mavericks proceeded to close the game on a 22-5 run, with Dirk Nowitzki scoring Dallas' final nine points, including this game-winning lefty scoop with 3.6 seconds to play, before going on to win the series in six."

Coming in at 23rd was Luka Doncic's icy game-winner over Rudy Gobert in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

"After hitting this shot, Doncic had some choice words for Gobert, who is, shall we say, less than liked by a lot of NBA players. That's part of the indelible memory of the shot itself. The bigger question here is why Gobert was in the game in the first place. Minnesota coach Chris Finch confirmed after the game that the plan was to switch all screens, in which case, Doncic hunting Gobert was inevitable. Finch put his big man in an impossible situation, and Luka made them pay dearly."

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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