Kendrick Perkins shares his top five clutch playoff performers, ranking Michael Jordan at number one, followed by Bill Russell and LeBron James.
On a recent episode of ESPN’s “Get Up,” Kendrick Perkins shared his list of the most clutch playoff players of all time. Known for his insightful and candid commentary, Perkins didn’t hold back in naming the players he believes have risen above all others when the stakes are highest. Here’s a breakdown of his top five clutch playoff performers:
5. Paul Pierce
4. LeBron James
3. Robert Horry
2. Bill Russell
1. Michael Jordan
Let’s see what Perkins said about each of his picks.
At number 5, Perkins got his former teammate, Paul Pierce.
“Paul Pierce. The truth. Seven career buzzer beaters tied with LeBron James fourth most in NBA history both in regular season and postseason. Talking to him during the conference semi-finals… He was clutch. He was huge. The Truth.”
Perkins starts his list with Paul Pierce, affectionately known as “The Truth.” Pierce has seven career buzzer beaters, tying him with LeBron James for the fourth most in NBA history, covering both the regular season and playoffs. Perkins emphasized Pierce’s reliability in critical moments, particularly during the conference semifinals.
At number 4, Perkins has LeBron James, which is surprisingly a lower position than expected.
“LeBron James, the king, Five career buzzer beaters in the playoffs. Two more than any other player in NBA history. Seven buzzer beaters including the regular season. LeBron. He’s always known for not being a killer, but he’s killing in the clutch moments.”
Next on the list is LeBron James, “The King.” Despite criticisms over the years about his supposed lack of a killer instinct, LeBron has proven his critics wrong time and again. He holds the record for five career playoff buzzer beaters, more than any other player in NBA history. Adding his regular season buzzer beaters, LeBron’s total reaches seven.
Robert Horry is ranked number 3 on Perkins’ list. It’s surprising to see Horry ranked ahead of LeBron, especially in the third position. Who would have thought that Perkins would place someone above LeBron?
“Big Shot Rob. Beyonce him. Ring him, because he got seven of them. Ask Shaq about him. The greatest role player of all time. Nobody comes close to Big Shot Rob. He did it with multiple organizations, seven championships. And he was huge.”
Robert Horry, nicknamed “Big Shot Rob,” takes the third spot. Known for his incredible ability to hit critical shots in the playoffs, Horry has earned seven NBA championships with three different teams: the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs.
Then comes the legendary Bill Russell who is ranked number 2 and has won the most championships (11) in NBA history.
“Coming in at number two. Bill Russell. You know Bill Russell played in 10 game sevens. You know how many he lost? None. He’s undefeated in game seven. And I don’t care if it was the NBA, the ABA, the CBA, damn it, he got it done.”
Coming in second is Bill Russell, the legendary Boston Celtics center. Russell played in 10 Game 7s during his career and won every single one of them. Perkins pointed out Russell’s unparalleled success in the most pressure-packed situations.
At the top of Perkins’ list is Michael Jordan, which doesn’t come as a surprise.
“Coming in at number one Michael Jeffrey Jordan, Js on my feet. You talk about clutch, I got my notes right here because it’s too long. Nine career buzzer-beaters, most in NBA history, two series-ending buzzer-beaters, one of two players with multiple such shots in NBA history.”
Known for his fierce competitiveness and clutch performances, Jordan holds the record for the most career buzzer-beaters in NBA history with nine. He is also one of only two players with multiple series-ending buzzer-beaters.
Perkins highlights the diverse qualities and accomplishments that define clutch performances. Each player brought something unique to the table, whether it was game-winning shots, perfect records in Game 7s, or an unmatched ability to deliver in the most critical moments.