Out of players in the top 25 of all time, is 2011 the greatest choke of all?

[warriorfan]

2011. We all know the circumstances. Joined with the 2nd and 4th highest per, outscored by Jason Terry in less minutes, loses.

All things considered, out of the players in the top 25 of all time...is there a greater choke?

[deathawaitu]

It was definitely a huge choke

But Lebron is still a cemented and consensus ranked 8-12

One could argue he is ranked 13bron which most people wouldn't disagree as well.

[OrlandoMagicGuy]

It ruined his chances of being in the GOAT conversation along with other future events.

[baudkarma]

Magic Johnsons choke job in the 1984 finals was pretty epic.

[Mamba4Life]

So OP admitting Curry isn’t Top 25

[And1AllDay]

So OP admitting Curry isn’t Top 25

good point because we know curry from 2016 choker job was a big fail :oldlol:

OP in shambles ever since the bois roasted his ashy ass

https://i.postimg.cc/Vv8jS0GV/qweqweqweqwe.png

[Hey Yo]

So OP admitting Curry isn’t Top 25
:oldlol::oldlol:

OP ruined

[Smoke117]

good point because we know curry from 2016 choker job was a big fail :oldlol:

OP in shambles ever since the bois roasted his ashy ass

https://i.postimg.cc/Vv8jS0GV/qweqweqweqwe.png

:roll: :roll: :roll:

[LAmbruh]

So OP admitting Curry isn’t Top 25

good point because we know curry from 2016 choker job was a big fail :oldlol:

OP in shambles ever since the bois roasted his ashy ass

https://i.postimg.cc/Vv8jS0GV/qweqweqweqwe.png

:roll::roll::roll::roll:

[999Guy]

good point because we know curry from 2016 choker job was a big fail :oldlol:

OP in shambles ever since the bois roasted his ashy ass

https://i.postimg.cc/Vv8jS0GV/qweqweqweqwe.pngwhat a ****** ass bitch

[And1AllDay]

good point because we know curry from 2016 choker job was a big fail :oldlol:

OP in shambles ever since the bois roasted his ashy ass

https://i.postimg.cc/Vv8jS0GV/qweqweqweqwe.png
:oldlol::roll:

[AlternativeAcc.]

good point because we know curry from 2016 choker job was a big fail :oldlol:

OP in shambles ever since the bois roasted his ashy ass

https://i.postimg.cc/Vv8jS0GV/qweqweqweqwe.png

Damn this guy has been bullied for years but keeps coming back. :oldlol:

Sad life we're witnessing. What a glorious train wreck

[And1AllDay]

Damn this guy has been bullied for years but keeps coming back. :oldlol:

Sad life we're witnessing. What a glorious train wreck

i admire his ability to come back for more like a jizzed on whore. we abuse him day in day out and he just comes back hungry for more each day

[MoneyMitch23]

Easily.

[LeCroix]

Easily.

nice cool 23 for leborn. very good to see more people understand 23 represents the goat of king james

[bullettooth]

How tf do you collude with two other top 10 players and lose to JJ Barea while averaging 17ppg? LOL

[DoctorP]

https://a.espncdn.com/photo/2012/1001/nba_g_james_gb2_576.jpg

[sportjames23]

2011. We all know the circumstances. Joined with the 2nd and 4th highest per, outscored by Jason Terry in less minutes, loses.

All things considered, out of the players in the top 25 of all time...is there a greater choke?

Nope.

[Uncle Drew]

I would have said Steph Curry in 2016, but he ain't top 25. :(

[Mr Feeny]

The lakers in 1981 is easily worse.
Losing with homecourt advantage in the FIRST ROUND as defending champions against a 40 win team is the mother of all chokes.

2004 must be 2nd all time.
2011 third.

[Doranku]

If we're talking about strictly finals, then the top 3 would be some order of 2011, 2004, and 1984.

Some pretty funny/interesting things about the '84 finals:


It was Game 2, and the Lakers were up 1-0. The score was 113-113, 7 seconds on the clock, and Magic had the ball. Did he dribble and attack the paint? A behind the back pass? An alley-oop for Kareem? None of the above. Magic dribbled the clock away.


Magic’s teammate Michael Cooper later described Magic crying in the shower for 30 minutes. As Cooper said it “Not only did we lose to the Boston Celtics, but he had lost to his nemesis Larry Bird. Magic himself said “. . . (the Lakers) I learned a valuable lesson. Only the strong survive. Talent just doesn’t get it. That’s the first time the (80’s) Lakers ever encountered that, someone stronger minded.”


P.S. The series had one other peculiar moment, Game 5 is known as the “Heat Game” since it was played under 97 °F heat, and without any air conditioning, at Boston Garden. It got so bad that an oxygen tank was provided to give air to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. At one point in the first half, referee Hugh Evans became dehydrated and fainted.

Pretty crazy tbh. Imagine the excuses Bran would have for "the cramp game" if a referee fainted on the court. :lol

[SouBeachTalents]

Kareem in the '73 WCSF
Wilt in the '68 ECF & '69 Finals
Duncan losing to an 8 seed and his missed layup in Game 7
Magic in the '81 first round & '84 Finals
Dr. J in the '81 ECF
Malone in the '97 Finals
Dirk in the '06 Finals & '07 first round
Barkley losing a 2-0 & 3-1 lead b2b years to Houston
Durant in the '16 WCF
Curry in the '16 Finals

[Mr Feeny]

If we're talking about strictly finals, then the top 3 would be some order of 2011, 2004, and 1984.

Some pretty funny/interesting things about the '84 finals:







Pretty crazy tbh. Imagine the excuses Bran would have for "the cramp game" if a referee fainted on the court. :lol

He also had a weird game 7 where he turned the ball over twice in consecutive possessions with a minute and a half remaining.

But he redeemed himself the following year.

[Mr Feeny]

Kareem in the '73 WCSF
Wilt in the '68 ECF & '69 Finals
Duncan losing to an 8 seed and his missed layup in Game 7
Magic in the '81 first round & '84 Finals
Dr. J in the '81 ECF
Malone in the '97 Finals
Dirk in the '06 Finals & '07 first round
Barkley losing a 2-0 & 3-1 lead b2b years to Houston
Durant in the '16 WCF
Curry in the '16 Finals

In the 81 first round, Kareem was badly outplayed by Moses. It's more on him than Magic.

Harsh on Duncan to focus on 1 miss. He had that enormous game 6 which should have seen them win the title if not for Popovich taking jim out in the final seconds which resulted in the offensive rebound that led to Allen's 3. Duncan must have been around 38 by then and wasn't bad.

With a 6 point game and the title slipping away, it was him who got the 3 point play on Bosh to swing the momentum and keep the Spurs in it.

[SouBeachTalents]

Magic's choke in the '84 Finals is definitely the most random one. Usually when ATG players choke it's before they've won their first title, or it becomes a pattern in their career. But at that point in his career Magic had already won 2 titles, 2 FMVP's, had literally one of the greatest games ever his rookie year to clinch the championship on the road without Kareem playing. So after so much success up till that point in his career, and all the success that would come afterword, for him to just break down and choke like that in that Finals is just bizarre

[tpols]

If we're talking about strictly finals, then the top 3 would be some order of 2011, 2004, and 1984.

Some pretty funny/interesting things about the '84 finals:







Pretty crazy tbh. Imagine the excuses Bran would have for "the cramp game" if a referee fainted on the court. :lol

i forgot about that. :lol

2013 finals... LeCramp lmao

[RogueBorg]

If you go by the true definition of a choke, it's either KD's Thunder being up 3-1 and losing to the Warriors or the Warriors being up 3-1 and losing to the Cavs. I'm going to say KD's Thunder. It was so epic that the next year KD pulled the ole "If ya can't beat 'em join 'em" routine.

[Axe]

Jordan in the 1995 eastern semifinals (esp. game 1)? 🤔

[warriorfan]

If you go by the true definition of a choke, it's either KD's Thunder being up 3-1 and losing to the Warriors or the Warriors being up 3-1 and losing to the Cavs. I'm going to say KD's Thunder. It was so epic that the next year KD pulled the ole "If ya can't beat 'em join 'em" routine.

Joining with the 2nd and 4th highest PER in an already historically weak conference, not one not two not three, getting outscored by Jason Terry in less minutes while losing in the NBA Finals.

2011 is the greatest choke

[Wally450]

Nope.

You've got a great choke yourself...

[guy]

Pretty clearly to me. I believe it’s the biggest drop-off in scoring average vs the regular season average in NBA history.

[Roundball_Rock]

If we are talking the NBA finals, the only other competitors probably would be Bird 81', Magic 84', Kobe 00', Kobe 04', LeBron 07' when you are talking top 10 all-time guys. LeBron 07' we could give him a pass due to age but there was no mitigating factor for 11'. What makes 11' worse to me is he was so bad in 07' (shot 36%), finally gets back to the finals and melts down.

It is interesting Kobe has two of these finals but we never hear of those but hear about LeBron's 11' 24/7.


Kareem in the '73 WCSF

Kareem 23/16/3 on 43%
Thurmond 14/10/3 on 42%

It probably is KAJ's worst series but it shows how great he was. That is considered a terrible series for him. KAJ bulked up and was able to play more physically in response to people like Thurmond in the future.

Re the 81' first round (3 game "series"), Magic shot 39%. Kareem was 27/17/4. In Game 3 Kareem goes 32/18/5 while Magic has 10 points on 14%.

[SouBeachTalents]

If we are talking the NBA finals, the only other competitors probably would be Bird 81', Magic 84', Kobe 00', Kobe 04', LeBron 07' when you are talking top 10 all-time guys. LeBron 07' we could give him a pass due to age but there was no mitigating factor for 11'. What makes 11' worse to me is he was so bad in 07' (shot 36%), finally gets back to the finals and melts down.

It is interesting Kobe has two of these finals but we never hear of those but hear about LeBron's 11' 24/7.
'08 was pretty bad too, from the 24 point collapse at home to the 40 point annihilation

[Roundball_Rock]

'08 was pretty bad too, from the 24 point collapse at home to the 40 point annihilation

Good points. Ironically, 08' was basically Kobe's baseline finals performance. He was 25/6/5 on 41% for his finals career. In 08' he was 26/5/5 on 41%. Yet he is the epitome of clutch according to many fans. :biggums:

[SouBeachTalents]

Good points. Ironically, 08' was basically Kobe's baseline finals performance. He was 25/6/5 on 41% for his finals career. In 08' he was 26/5/5 on 41%. Yet he is the epitome of clutch according to many fans. :biggums:
His elimination game numbers are even worse

[Doranku]

If we are talking the NBA finals, the only other competitors probably would be Bird 81', Magic 84', Kobe 00', Kobe 04', LeBron 07' when you are talking top 10 all-time guys. LeBron 07' we could give him a pass due to age but there was no mitigating factor for 11'. What makes 11' worse to me is he was so bad in 07' (shot 36%), finally gets back to the finals and melts down.

It is interesting Kobe has two of these finals but we never hear of those but hear about LeBron's 11' 24/7.


The thread is about greatest chokes of all-time. How do you choke when you win? :lol Not to mention:

-He was intentionally injured by Jalen Rose, missed an entire game and 3 quarters of another
-Had a huge clutch time performance when Shaq fouled out to carry the Lakers to a 3-1 lead
-He was 21 (since you're giving Bran a pass for '07)

[Roundball_Rock]

His elimination game numbers are even worse

That doesn't surprise me. Do you know what they are? With Kobe a lot of the problem was "Mamba Mentality." He simply took too many bad shots instead of passing to a wide open teammate.

[And1AllDay]

Jordan in the 1995 eastern semifinals (esp. game 1)? 🤔

wow I see the light now:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199505070ORL.html

mike had a OffRtg of 72 :oldlol: Crazy low

[And1AllDay]

Pretty clearly to me. I believe it’s the biggest drop-off in scoring average vs the regular season average in NBA history.

wilt? yeah he has many of those keep up

[Roundball_Rock]

The thread is about greatest chokes of all-time. How do you choke when you win?

It is a team sport. Others can offset the poor play of an individual. I am not giving a pass to LeBron for 07' (see the LeBron/Kareem thread :lol ). What I meant was even if you give him a pass for 07', he has no excuse for 11'. One time can be excused but he did it twice. Same story with Kobe with his performance in 04'.

[red1]

quite possibly OP. it was a curry-esque finals performance


its was like the headband was too tight depriving lbj's brain of oxygen.


again a curry-esque shrinkage performance.

[AlternativeAcc.]

good point because we know curry from 2016 choker job was a big fail :oldlol:

OP in shambles ever since the bois roasted his ashy ass

https://i.postimg.cc/Vv8jS0GV/qweqweqweqwe.png

:roll:

[red1]

good point because we know curry from 2016 choker job was a big fail :oldlol:

OP in shambles ever since the bois roasted his ashy ass

https://i.postimg.cc/Vv8jS0GV/qweqweqweqwe.png

snitches gonna snitch. no honor or integrity whatsoever. :(

[Axe]

wow I see the light now:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199505070ORL.html

mike had a OffRtg of 72 :oldlol: Crazy low
Right. I was expecting a response from someone like you since you're a jordan mudslinger after all lmao.

[Smoke117]

Second after Kobe 2004.

[guy]

wilt? yeah he has many of those keep up

I’m talking finals and regular season of the same season.

Wilt’s career drop off is due to him playing most of his playoff games during the seasons where he took on a reduced scoring role and had a lower scoring average in the regular season.

[Roundball_Rock]

Wilt’s career drop off is due to him playing most of his playoff games during the seasons where he took on a reduced scoring role and had a lower scoring average in the regular season.

That and playing a significant percentage of his playoff games against the GOAT defensive player.

[Duncan21formvp]

Yes because of getting outplayed by Jason Terry.

[Docs Orders]

So OP admitting Curry isn’t Top 25


good point because we know curry from 2016 choker job was a big fail :oldlol:

OP in shambles ever since the bois roasted his ashy ass

https://i.postimg.cc/Vv8jS0GV/qweqweqweqwe.png

:roll::roll:

[LeCroix]

good point because we know curry from 2016 choker job was a big fail :oldlol:

OP in shambles ever since the bois roasted his ashy ass

https://i.postimg.cc/Vv8jS0GV/qweqweqweqwe.png

I cannot use ether too lightly but

[SpaceJam]

good point because we know curry from 2016 choker job was a big fail :oldlol:

OP in shambles ever since the bois roasted his ashy ass

https://i.postimg.cc/Vv8jS0GV/qweqweqweqwe.png

Nice

[LeCroix]

I’m talking finals and regular season of the same season.

Wilt’s career drop off is due to him playing most of his playoff games during the seasons where he took on a reduced scoring role and had a lower scoring average in the regular season.
No duh

1969 Wilt
Reg: 20.5
Finals: 11.7

2011 LBJ
Reg: 26.7
Finals: 17.8

Be schooled??

[jstern]

I think you can go higher than that. Out of the top 300, 400 players of all time.

Wait, where does Nick Anderson rank?