Where do Nikola Jokic's full court heaves rank in NBA History?

Friday night versus the Utah Jazz, Nikola Jokic added another all time moment to the most illustrious season of his NBA career. As the first half buzzer sounded, Jokic hit another full court desperation buzzer beater, and gave the Nuggets a ten point halftime lead.

After witnessing Jokic's second miracle heave of the season, I got a little curious, and decided to measure his shots up with the best full court heaves in NBA history. 

Parameters

1. To qualify, the shot has to be shot and released from beyond halfcourt. (Sorry Josh Giddey.)

2. I am only looking at shots from the last 25 years. Big apologies to Jerry West and Magic Johnson.

I'm doing this because there aren't a ton of readily available videos of full court heaves from the 60's-90's, and I don't want to claim that these are the best in NBA history if I can't fairly represent some of the older eras due to lack of footage.

3. Finally, my rankings are based on the following criteria: Distance, shot difficulty (i.e. was the player guarded when they shot the ball? Did they have a running start? How much reaction time did they have?) and situation (i.e. Was the game important? Was the score close? Was it a regular season game or in the postseason?).

Now that the rules are established, let's see where Jokic's two heaves rank among the NBA's best since 2000.

#10 Rasheed Wallace 

Warning: The first shot on the list might revive an unpleasant memory for longer tenured Nuggets fans. On March 26th, 2007, The Denver Nuggets appeared to have a road victory versus the Detroit Pistons completely in hand. With one second remaining and holding a 98-95 lead, all they had to do was safely inbound the ball to end the game. Instead, Marcus Camby’s inbound pass to Carmelo Anthony got deflected, and the ball went into the hands of Rasheed Wallace. The rest was history.

Wallace’s improbable bank shot from 63 feet sent the game into overtime, where the Pistons eventually prevailed. While the shot itself isn’t as difficult as some of the others on this list, it came in an extremely clutch situation, and Rasheed’s reaction time was pretty impressive.

#9 JR. Smith

The one time Denver Nugget comes in at number nine on the list. In 2018, the Cleveland Cavaliers were in a rock fight with the Indiana Pacers, and down 2-1 in their first round playoff series. Near the end of the first quarter of Game Four, the Cavs had a three point lead, and then JR. Smith launched an absolute prayer to shock the Pacers crowd.

This shot is even more impressive when you consider that Smith was running at an angle, and he was actually fading left as he released it. Smith’s 60 foot bomb ended up making a difference, as the Cavs ended up winning 104-100 to send the series tied back to Cleveland.

#8 Nikola Jokic 

Nuggets fans might be slightly disappointed to see Nikola Jokic’s shot versus the Jazz to be this low, but he is the only player to be featured twice on the list (so stay tuned).

Jokic’s miraculous 1st half buzzer beater vs Utah looked almost effortless, despite being nearly impossible for anyone else in the league to pull off. If I eurostepped, launched a one handed 60 foot bomb with one hand, shot it off the wrong leg, AND it actually went in? I know my natural reaction would be to run around screaming like a crazy person, even if I did it in an empty gym. While Jokic didn't seem too impressed, the rest of the world was, and it lit NBA social media on fire. 

#7 Taj Gibson

This was probably not a name you were expecting to see, but in March of 2017, Taj Gibson hit one of the most unlikely full court shots you’ll ever see to close out the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers. After the Blazers tried inbounding the ball the length of the court with 2.8 seconds on the clock, Taj Gibson intercepted the pass that was intended for Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic. Gibson then transformed himself into an NFL quarterback, and threw up a one handed rainbow that almost doesn’t seem real. 

While the distance isn’t quite as long as some of the others on the list, the degree of difficulty was through the roof as Gibson had to get the ball over Nurkic, who was right in Gibson’s grill. The arc Gibson put on that thing was also pretty incredible. 

6. Steph Curry

It’s not a surprise to see the greatest shooter of all time make the list. Steph Curry’s best half court heave came in the 2015 playoffs, as the Warriors were looking to put away the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 6 of the second round. Up 3-2 in the series, the Warriors had a five point lead and were looking to get a stop heading into the fourth quarter. After Andre Iguadala blocked Jeff Green’s shot with two seconds left, the ball found its way into Curry’s hands. I’m pretty sure you can guess what happened next. 

This play is one of Steph’s signature playoff moments, and it came in an absolutely massive spot. The shot gave all the momentum to Golden State, who ended up closing the series that night. Steph went on to win his first ever NBA title two rounds later. 

5. LeBron James

LeBron James has had a ton of fun playing the Boston Celtics over the years. While people may remember him tormenting them in the playoffs or ending Jason Terry’s career with a poster dunk, one of  LeBron’s more forgotten career highlights against Boston actually came at end of the third quarter of a regular season game in January of 2007. After receiving an inbounds pass with only one second on the clock, LeBron James hit a shot you need to see to believe. 

LeBron’s shot clocked in at an astounding 83 feet away from the basket, which is even more crazy when you consider he had a hand in his face. It’s crazy to think that hitting a buzzer beater from the other team’s free throw line will only get you this high on the list, but hey, the competition is stiff!

#4 Devonte Graham

I’m a little paranoid that I might’ve placed this shot too low, and for good reason. In December of 2021, The Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans had a game with an all time classic finish. After Shai Gilgeous Alexander hit an amazing three to tie the game at 110 apiece with 1.4 seconds remaining, the game appeared to be heading for overtime. Devonte Graham had other ideas.

This shot is famous for being the longest game winning buzzer beater in NBA history, and will probably end up being Graham's biggest claim to fame as an NBA player. Graham’s 65 foot shot off the glass shocked the Thunder and their fans, and it’s still unclear whether or not Graham called bank or not.

#3 Nikola Jokic (Again!)

See, I told you not to worry Nuggets fans! While Nikola Jokic’s second appearance on the list didn’t claim the top spot, his full court, John Elway-esque heave versus the Kings two months ago still deserves its flowers. 

What blows my mind about this shot is how little Jokic strained himself. You’d think a one handed fling from the other team’s free throw line would look a little harder, but Jokic just looks like he’s playing catch in the backyard. Jokic’s reactions after hitting some of the most absurd shots in NBA history make him appear unimpressed, and maybe he is. But it’s safe to say that everyone else is in awe. 

You might be asking yourself, “How the heck are there two shots better than Joker’s?” Well, you’re about to find out. The second spot on the list belongs to a former Nuggets player, and someone who currently coaches the Nugget’s G-League Affiliate. 

#2 Andre Miller

Best known for his old-school game he displayed in two different stints with the Denver Nuggets, Andre Miller slots in at number two on the list. Miller’s full court heave came earlier on in his career when he played for the Cavs. Unlike the other shots on this list, it actually didn’t come at the end of a quarter. After a possession didn't go as planned in a 2001 game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Miller had to race into the backcourt to secure the basketball as the shot clock dwindled down. After picking up the ball at the other team's free throw line, Miller had one second to fire away, and then, this happened.

The level of difficulty on this shot is, well, absurd. Miller's momentum was taking him away from the basket he was shooting at, making the shot almost impossible. While I compared Jokic and Taj Gibson to quarterbacks earlier, this once in a lifetime play really looks like a quarterback making an insane throw under duress, and the Milwaukee defender that weas closing in almost looked like an incoming pass-rusher. Still, there is one shot remaining that is slightly more impressive. 

#1 Baron Davis

Eighty nine feet. That is the NBA record for the longest shot made in NBA history, and it came over 24 years ago (Ignore the video title). On February 1st, 2001, in a game between the Charlotte Hornets and Milwaukee Bucks, Davis shocked everybody by somehow pulling off a heave that came from the other team's three point line, in the corner. 

Davis showed off some unbelievable arm strength on this one, and maybe even more impressively, he didn't even need the backboard to help him out. While Baron Davis will probably always be remembered for his mesmerizing dunk in the 2007 playoffs, this 89 foot record is a pretty amazing secondary accomplishment to flex. That is, until Nikola Jokic eventually finds a way to break it.