Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Analytics have transformed the NBA into a league where teams tend to live and die by the deep ball, and snipers like Steph Curry have helped usher in an era where guys routinely attempt shots from well behind the arc. However, those have nothing on the heaves that comprise the list of the longest shots ever made in an NBA game.
These are the longest shots that have sunk during an NBA game
The NBA made a change heading into the 2025-26 season that will make it so shots attempted at least 36 feet away from the basket in the final three seconds of the first three quarters will be designated as a team stat as opposed to an individual one.
That rule tweak was rolled out to encourage players to attempt the last-second heaves and unlikely buzzer beaters that many guys had opted to avoid taking in order to prevent their shooting percentage from being negatively impacted. Thankfully, the ones responsible for the longest shots in NBA history were not overly concerned about that stat, including…
Andre Drummond—71 Feet
Andre Drummond has not spent close to 15 years in the NBA because of his ability to hit from long range; the 6’11” center has only attempted 140 three-pointers in the 904 games he’s appeared in prior to the start of the 2-25-26 season, and his shooting percentage in that category sits at .129.
However, he was able to help the cause thanks to what unfolded when Raptors guard Patrick Patterson coughed up a dribble that ended up in his hands in the closing seconds of the third quarter when the Pistons hosted Toronto on February 8, 2016.
Drummond briefly considered other options before taking a dribble and heaving up the ball near the top of the key—a laser that made its way into the hoop to cut his team’s deficit from eight points to five (it ended up being a moot point in Toronto’s 103-89 victory).
Darius Miller—72 Feet
There are two players who’ve made a shot that measured in at exactly 72 feet, and we’ll kick things off with the most recent.
It appeared the Pelicans were going to head into halftime of the first game of their second-round playoff series with the Warriors on April 28, 2018 trailing by 24 points after JaVale McGee missed the layup that would have extended Golden State’s lead to 26 at the end of the second quarter.
However, Darius Miller snagged the rebound and dribbled once before firing off a shot he got off right before the buzzer sounded. Kevin Harlan had falsely assumed he wouldn’t have anything else to comment on before the shot was released, but he had to reassess after watching it go in.
Vince Carter—72 Feet
Vince Carter had a bit more time to prepare than the first two guys on this list, as the man who was playing for the Grizzlies in 2016 snagged a rebound with three seconds to go with his team down 81-73 to the Timberwolves on February 19th of that year.
The eight-time All-Star contemplated what would have been an even longer heave that got a little bit shorter after he dribbled before putting up a shot that arched through the air before splashing in to close out the third quarter.
Zoran Planinic—77 Feet
Zoran Planinic, on the other hand, barely had any time to get off a shot that was inbounded with .9 seconds on the clock at the end of the third quarter when his Nets welcomed the Jazz to New Jersey on November 9, 2005.
The Croatian caught the ball and quickly pivoted before hucking up the shot that went in to give his squad a 72-57 lead en route to a 91-83 victory over Utah.
Ziaire Williams—79 Feet
The Grizzlies needed a spark down 87-69 to the Suns at the end of the third quarter on January 22, 2023, and Ziarie Williams did what he could to give them one when he grabbed a rebound before throwing up a prayer that banked off the backboard and into the hoop.
That did turn out to be a turning point, as Memphis rallied and outscored Phoenix to the tune of 38-25 in the fourth quarter. However, the Suns warded off the comeback to eke out a 112-110 win.
Herb Williams—81 Feet
This is the first of a couple of throwbacks on this list, as it occurred when the Pacers faced off against the Kings all the way back on January 8, 1986.
Indiana headed into the locker room at halftime up by 10 points with some help from Herb Williams, who grabbed a rebound and threw the ball the length of the court with one hand to hit what was at the time the second-longest shot ever made in an NBA game.
Unfortunately, Sacramento rallied in the second half and walked away with the 88-87 victory.
LeBron James—83 Feet
If you make a list of notable NBA accomplishments, it’s usually only a matter of time until LeBron James shows up, and this one is no exception.
He earned a spot here thanks to what transpired when the Celtics played the Cavaliers at home on January 3, 2007. It looked like Boston was going into the fourth quarter down by just three points, but King James was able to double Cleveland’s lead with a shot that ended up being the difference in his team’s 107-104 victory.
Magic Johnson—84 Feet
Two players share the silver medal in this particular category, and we’ll once again start with the most recent.
“Recent” is relative here, as this shot was made when the Lakers faced off against the Nuggets in the first game of their first-round playoff matchup on April 23, 1987. Los Angeles had a massive lead at the end of the second quarter, and they walked into the locker room up by 29 after Magic Johnson lived up to his nickname with the shot he threw up before the buzzer.
Norm Van Lier
Manny Rubio-Imagn Images
This is the only shot on this list that I couldn’t find a video of, but Bulls point guard Norm Van Lier is credited with making an 84-foot shot of his own when Chicago played the Spurs on January 19, 1977.
It’s also the only shot on this list that was worth two points, as the NBA didn’t adopt the three-point line until the 1979-80 season.
Baron Davis—89 Feet
The longest shot an NBA player can theoretically make is 94 feet, and Baron Davis came closer to that number than anyone else in the history of the league when the Hornets played the Bucks on February 17, 2001.
Charlotte had a 73-67 lead when Davis grabbed a pass that was inbounded with just .7 seconds to go in the third quarter, but it was extended to nine points after he made what remains the longest shot in NBA history.