Kobe's Heaven-and-Earth Shocking, Ghost-Weeping Shot
With only 3.2 seconds left before the final whistle, Wade made only one of his two free throws, leaving the score at 107-105 in favor of Miami. This gave the Lakers, and more precisely Kobe Bryant, a chance for a last-second kill. The Lakers used their final 20-second timeout, after which four players lined up at the free-throw line, while the ball was inbounded from the sideline. The Miami team knew that this tactic aimed to create space for Kobe to catch the ball and shoot. Under the Heat’s tight defense and with the audience holding its breath, Kobe performed his miraculous shot.
He darted out from the crowd, receiving the ball just outside the three-point line at a 45-degree angle, closely shadowed by two Heat players. Despite having only 3.2 seconds left on the clock, Kobe did not immediately attempt a shot but instead dribbled twice backward, catching the Heat defenders off guard. One defender had abandoned the double-team and ran towards the basket, and Wade's steps were not fully synchronized. Seeing an opportunity, Kobe jumped laterally from nearly two meters behind the three-point line, evading Wade's block with a drifting motion, and released the ball with only 0.4 seconds remaining. As the final buzzer sounded, the ball hit the backboard and went in!
According to Sina Sports News on December 5th, Beijing time, after seven consecutive victories that lacked excitement, the Lakers finally faced a strong opponent—the Miami Heat. The showdown between Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade represented the confrontation between the league's top scoring guards today. Ultimately, the Lakers narrowly won at home, with Kobe sinking an awe-inspiring buzzer-beating three-pointer to lead the team to a close 108-107 victory.
Out of respect for historical greats like Jordan, Larry Bird, and Miller, and because this was just an ordinary regular-season game, we will not rank Kobe's clutch shot historically. However, there is no doubt that this was the most spectacular buzzer-beater in Kobe's 13-year career.
Although it was just a regular-season game, if we consider the brilliance of the goal alone, this shot surpasses the one Kobe made three years ago against the Suns. Firstly, Kobe's timing and rhythm control were impeccable. The two steps he took backward after receiving the ball were crucial, not only disrupting the opponent's defense but also ensuring that Wade had no chance for a "reverse buzzer-beater" after his shot. In terms of shooting difficulty, Kobe's shot was rarely seen in history. After dribbling quickly outside the three-point line, he suddenly stopped and jumped sideways, hitting the three-pointer in mid-air drift. Throughout, Wade's defense was already at its best. The difficulty of Reggie Miller's famous buzzer-beater against Michael Jordan was comparable to this.
(Kris)
Kobe left no room for error, providing a classic conclusion to this remarkable game. His performance throughout the game—33 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists—was elevated even further by this shot, akin to adding the finishing touch to a masterpiece. He triumphed over Wade in the "duel of the two stars," outperforming him overall, and delivered a heaven-and-earth shocking, ghost-weeping buzzer-beater. Truly, Kobe is the king among kings.
So-called buzzer-beaters are not unfamiliar to Kobe. Over his 13-year career, he has made countless winning shots worthy of the term "buzzer-beater." However, complete buzzer-beaters like the one today are rare in his career. The last such instance was in Game 5 of the 2006 playoffs when Kobe sank a buzzer-beater against the Suns, ending the game instantly and sending them straight to the locker room. Three years later, today, we have witnessed another pure Kobe buzzer-beater.