Ray Allen

Ray Allen hit the most important shot in NBA Finals history. His corner three-pointer with 5.2 seconds remaining in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals — backpedaling to the corner, catching the rebound, and draining a shot with perfect form while his foot barely stayed behind the three-point line — saved the Heat from elimination and changed the course of basketball history. LeBron James's legacy, the Miami dynasty's place in history — all of it pivoted on one shot.

But Allen was far more than one shot. He held the all-time three-point record (2,973) until Stephen Curry broke it in 2021. His shooting form was the most technically perfect in basketball history — a textbook release with zero wasted motion that shooting coaches still use as the gold standard. He won his first championship with the 2008 Celtics as part of the Big Three with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

Allen's dedication to his craft was legendary. His pregame routine — arriving hours early, taking the same shots from the same spots, with the same meticulous precision — was the model for professional preparation. His transition from athletic slasher in Milwaukee to elite specialist shooter in Boston and Miami showed a rare willingness to adapt his game as his body aged.