It started, as many great things did, with OG Anunoby's legendary, game-winning, potentially championship-altering tip-in in Game 4 of the NBA Finals -- a game-clinching play that happened exactly three months ago. I immediately wondered if it was the greatest play in New York Knicks history, which it almost certainly was. I then wondered where it ranked among the greatest plays in NBA Finals history, which would be very high.
But then my scope broadened. Where did it rank among the greatest rebounds in NBA history? Is there a definitive greatest rebound in NBA history?
For that matter, is there a definitive "greatest" example of every notable statistic an NBA player can accumulate in a game? I set out to find the answer. A traditional NBA box score covers the following statistics: points, field goals, 3-point field goals, free throws, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers and personal fouls.
In most contexts, fouls and turnovers are bad things, so I ignored them. A minute is a unit of time, not a measure of basketball performance, so I can't exactly find the best possible example of a minute in an NBA context. I elected to combine the two rebounding categories, as defensive rebounds rely on missed shots, so the biggest in NBA history would essentially be a measure of the most significant missed shots ever.
I similarly elected to break the scoring categories up more cleanly into 2-point field goals, 3-point field goals and free throws. This left me with seven notable categories. I wanted to find the best 2-pointer, 3-pointer, free throw, assist, steal, rebound and block in NBA history.
I sought a combination of historical significance and excellence of the play itself. A great pass in January means less than one in May or June, but at the same time, I didn't want to choose garden-variety plays just because they came at big moments. In short, if you could remember just one example of each statistic in NBA history, which would you pick?
Extract — continue reading at the source.
