First and Second Team, All-Clutch: An NBA Analysis

Although all facets of the game of basketball are important, some really stand out above the rest.

Being "clutch" is one of the most famous phrases in basketball. Who doesn't want to be the one that sunk that three-pointer from halfcourt to win the NBA championship? Every American child has dreamed of being carried off the court by the crowd, holding the trophy above your head for all to see.

The NBA has seen its fair share of clutch players in it's extensive history, most of them shooting guards. Without a doubt, these players receive more fame than the rest. They have the mental toughness, pure skill, and the flat-out most competitive natures in professional sports. Here is my team of the most clutch players of all time:

FIRST TEAM, ALL-CLUTCH

PG: Jerry West (6'2", 175 lb.)

Dubbed "Mr. Clutch," Jerry West couldn't be left off this list. Although most call him a shooting guard, he has said himself that he is just a "guard." Given that statement, and the logjam of clutch shooting guards, I decided to put him as my point guard.

In 55 Finals games, West averaged 30.5 points per game. And of course, his halfcourt shot to force overtime against the Knicks in the 1970 NBA Finals had to be one of the greatest buzzer beaters of all time.

Although they eventually lost in that game, the shot only counted for two points. If it was played with modern rules, it would have won the game.

SG: Michael Jordan (6'6", 215 lb.)

Michael Jordan was truly the best who ever played the game. He was the master of every aspect, including being clutch.

Jordan has an astounding 25 game-winning shots, 24 of which were in the last 10 seconds, including eight at the buzzer.

If clutch could be summed up in one moment, it had to be his free-throw line jumper to beat the Utah Jazz and bring home the Bulls' sixth NBA title.

SF: Larry Bird (6'9", 220 lb.)

Larry Bird was a master of the game—there was nothing he couldn't do with the ball in his hands.

The Celtics were 29-63 during the 1978-79 season, but made a drastic improvement to 61-21 the year Bird arrived. Although they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals, they had a rematch the next season. Bird helped the Celtics overcome a 3-1 deficit and win the last three games by an average of 1.7 points.

After beating the Houston Rockets for the first of Bird's three NBA titles, he earned himself the reputation as one of the fiercest competitors in league history. He kept that distinction with some of the best finals performances the league has ever seen, posting more than 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists per game.

PF: Robert Horry (6'10", 240 lb.)

"Big-Shot Bob" is an extremely odd player. He was a solid role player when he was young, but the only time he ever did anything genuinely meaningful was in the last seconds of the game.

While he definitely doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as the other players on this list, he has as many, if not more, clutch plays than any of them.

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