Greatest moment in each NBA franchise’s history

Milwaukee Bucks: Kareem’s skyhook beats Celtics in double overtime

In case you hadn’t heard, Milwaukee Bucks and later Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the greatest players to play in the NBA. Between his longevity in the NBA as a productive big man and his unstoppable skyhook on the offensive end of the floor, he ultimately finished his career as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. However, there’s one skyhook from early in his career that stands above the rest, at least for the Bucks.

The Bucks were matched up a Celtics team led by John Havlicek and Dave Cowens in the 1974 NBA Finals and the Bucks found themselves on the ropes late in Game 6. Game 6 had been a duel of epic proportions already as the two teams battled into double overtime. However, Kareem made sure that there wasn’t going to be a third overtime period with some late-game heroics.

Havlicek scored to put the Celtics up 101-100 with just seven seconds remaining and the Bucks advanced the ball to half-court. Kareem got the ball off the inbounds pass on the right elbow extended. He then drove to the baseline and rose up for his skyhook and it gracefully fell through the bottom of the net to give Milwaukee the lead with three seconds left. That was enough for the victory.

The moment was huge for the Bucks as it forced a decisive Game 7 in the Finals series. Unfortunately for Kareem and Milwaukee, the Celtics would go on to win that decisive final game and take the title in 1974. Even then, that skyhook from Kareem still looks like heaven if you’re a Bucks fan.

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