Ray Allen with The Shot. Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler via Getty ImagesToday in sneaker history Ray Allen saved the Miami Heat by hitting one of the most clutch shots, ever! The Heat trailed the Spurs 92-95 with less than twenty seconds left in regulation in a modern slugfest. Here’s how it played out:
LeBron James caught the ball on the elbow and hoisted up a deep 3… Miss.
His teammate, All-Star Chris Bosh, rebounded the ball and quickly found an open man fading into the corner…
That man, one Ray Allen, did what he was born to do – shoot the damn ball:
Bang! Tied game with five seconds remaining!!!
Ray Allen’s Clutch 3-Pointer
The Outcome
San Antonio didn’t capitalize on those remaining five seconds, so the game went to overtime. Miami would hold strong in overtime to win Game 6 103-100 behind LeBron James’s 32 point double-double. Like all of LeBron’s championships, the King needed his teammates to come up big; but if Chris Bosh didn’t grab that offensive rebound, and if Ray Allen didn’t hit that clutch 3-pointer then LeBron’s legacy would like very different (not to hate on LBJ, all the greats (except Dirk, lol) needed All-Star caliber help).
We dare you, seriously dare you as the reader to name a more clutch shot than Ray Ray’s prime time, game tying, bucket. We’ll wait.
Luckily, for all of Southern Florida the Heat went on to beat the Spurs in Game 7 for the NBA crown and Miami became back-to-back champs.
2013 NBA Champion Miami Heat
The Footwork: Ray Allen
Sneaker history was established during that fateful Game 6 by two players… the two players we’ve mostly been talking about – Ray Allen and LeBron James.
Allen’s Air Jordan XX8s from Game 6 were gifted to the sharpshooter when he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall-of-Fame back in 2018. That same year, during Nike’s celebratory Art Of A Champion campaign, Jordan Brand released a commemorative Air Jordan XX8 inspired by Ray’s clutch Game 6 shot. The kicks were dubbed the “Locked and Loaded” Air Jordan XX8s because Ray Allen, regardless of the moment, was always locked and friggin’ loaded! As a result, sneaker fans were treated with two of the sweetest versions of the XX8s known to mankind.
Ray Allen’s Air Jordan XX8 PE from Game 6
Air Jordan XX8 ‘Locked And Loaded’
Air Jordan XX8 ‘Locked And Loaded’
The Footwork: LeBron James
Our second piece of sneaker history from the 2013 NBA Finals came from LeBron James and his LeBron X Elites. These kicks are easily one of the most recognizable pieces of footwear in LeBron’s long Nike catalog, and for obvious reasons – they’re bright red and sexy! The ‘Championship Pack’ X Elites had so many subtle details that they’re basically works of functional art.
detailed look at the Nike LeBron X Elite ‘Championship Pack’The execution on these badboys was absolutely flawless here’s a literal laundry list of details on these LeBron X Elites:
- ornament-like golden lace lock
- gold pattern laces with golden aglets
- reflective, patterned, mudguard
- crinkled gold Swoosh
- speckled midsole
- blackout Air Zoom Max
- translucent, gold speckled, outsole
That’s just the X Elite highs! As the name suggested, the ‘Championship Pack’ came with an accompanying, equally dope, LeBron X Low too! These suckers cost about 2k now on the secondary market because the release of this pack was extremely, extreeeemly, limited. If you have a pair of these in your closet then you’re basically ballin’ like LeBron.
LeBron X ‘Championship Pack’ & clothing
The Footwork: Everyone Else
Don’t get it twisted, players on both teams rocked some serious on-court footwear during Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals too. Lets take a look at some of the highlights:
Leonard guarding James wearing the Nike Air Force Max and Nike LeBron X Elite respectively.
Danny Green in the Nike LeBron Soldier 6; Patty Mills in the Nike Air Force Max, Tim Duncan in the adidas Crazy Ghost PE
Dwyane Wade in the Li-Ning Way of Wade 2
Dwyane Wade in the Li-Ning Way of Wade 2; Chris Bosh in the Nike Hyperposite
Chris Andersen in the Nike LeBron X (PE)
Tony Parker jump shot wearing the Peak TP9. Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
LeBron James during Game 6 of the NBA Finals wearing the ‘Championship Pack’ LBJ X Elites. Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images.
Do you remember Ray Allen’s clutch 3-Pointer? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
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