Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf

A well-documented perfectionist driven by the goal of hitting nothing but net on his every shot attempt, Mahmound Abdul-Rauf had to have been impressed by the results of his game-winner on November 27, 1992. Successful in helping his Denver Nuggets defend the rim during the final five seconds of a tie game against the Los Angeles Clippers, the electric floor general turns his focus to a potential clincher, beginning his race to the rim with only three seconds remaining. In a shot attempt perfectly befitting of the Nuggets’ classic, rainbow-themed skyline jerseys, Abdul-Rauf summons every ounce of power possible into a high-arced, one-legged prayer from beyond halfcourt, finding nothing but nylon to leave even the Clippers’ arena in appreciative awe. A before-his-time scoring dynamo, Abdul-Rauf contributed 19 points (on a healthy 6-of-12 shooting), alongside three rebounds, four assists, and two 3-pointers in the win. Abdul-Rauf’s heroics would later go rewarded with both the 1992-93 Most Improved Player of the Year trophy, and a tie for his career-best in scoring average (19.2) in just Year Three.

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