Damn thats literally the shot every kid that loves basketball growing up practices.. the one where you imagine you're in the championship game and there's 3 seconds left and you're down by 2 and you're like 3...2...1...ERRRRRRRR
+John Lansing Disagree. No tourney run is gonna be better than Danny Manning carrying a 10 loss Kansas team to the title in '88. He was amazing. But this would have been the greatest story in NCAA tourney history. Hands down.
Nothing compares to Shabazz Napier of UConn. We all thought Kamba set the gold standard of a one-man wrecking crew single handedly winning six games in the tourney, only for Napier to not only match him, but surpass him in epicness. Laettner, while a top 5 college player, had nothing but HS All-Americans and blue chip recruits by his side. Napier had...Jeremy Lamb with a rookie HC in Kevin Ollie. Napier>the world.
If Hayward just got James Harden mentality, he could’ve drawn a foul during that penetration inside. A lot of bodies to clip in your arms to draw a foul. Easy free throws for him to take the lead instead of settling for that fade away.
@@michaelhartman683 Look at my comment from three years before yours. I said as I watched that shot that Gene Hackman was in the stands, and it was "Hoosiers" all over. What got me is the game was played in Indianapolis.
@@vccstudents Hayward actually grew up 30 minutes out of Indianapolis in Brownsburg, he hit a game winning shot to win a state championship his senior year of highschool.
This felt like one of those sadistically cruel sports movie endings where everything is lined up for the protagonist team to win only for some stunning twist of fate to ruin it for everyone who paid for a ticket. And you're left looking at all the heartbroken fans feeling cheated. Little Big League, Mystery Alaska, Friday Night Lights to name a few. For God's sake, the game was at Indianapolis so the neutral site was really mostly Butler fans cheering on their little team that could. I know Butler had a really solid team that year but it was still a small mid-major school that had never dreamed of going this far before vs Big Bad Duke and Coach K who wins every year. And the final seconds def played out like a sports movie script, just not the type that leaves everybody happy.
Bryan Weil If you don't think the 1982-1983 NC State team was a cinderella story I don't know what to tell you. That was the ultimate underdog team. So what if they aren't a small school. Neither is Butler for that matter.
And Hayward just made a game-winner against Cleveland and Brad Stevens drew up a play for one of greatest game-winner in the history of the NBA against an elite Miami Heat team. The future is bright for both of them.
So many layers of heartbreak to that final shot: 1) Regardless of who was playing or where, it would've been the greatest game-winning championship shot in NCAA Tournament history. 2) It would've capped one of the most amazing Cinderella runs of any NCAA team in history. 3) The game took place in Butler's hometown, and for all intents Hayward's hometown. 4) If that shot went in, the ending of the game would've mirrored the ending of the movie Hoosiers, in which a Cinderella team wins a championship game in Indianapolis on a buzzer-beater from near half-court by their star player. Just incredibly cruel that the basketball gods didn't let that shot go in.
I can STILL hear that rim in my sleep .... I was working in the studio in NYC at CBS SPORTS that night.... we all went silent and the screamed ... and then immediately went back to work.
was at the game with my uncle. both die hard blue devils. about 20 rows up from the court, surrounded by not only Butler fans and students, but Butler faculty. soooooo glad we had aisle seats too lol. it was a very nerve wrecking game, and especially this period of it. I still cannot believe Nolan missed that bunny of a layup. and why is Singler fading on that practically uncontested jumper at the FT line......smh. I couldn't even celebrate right. I shook my head the entire time, wondering how we even got in the position to allow a half court heave to almost rob us on yet another national championship. I needed like 15 min to get myself together from the elements.
+Garrett Small Let me just say that Laettner's shot was far closer and easier to make than Hayward's. Laettner took a dribble, spun, and took a fadeaway shot at the free throw line. Hayward got a rebound, took 3 dribbles, and launched a fadeaway half court floater. Just let that sink in.
+Garrett Small I'm not comparing myself to Laettner's shot. My point is that there is a bigger chance to make a FT line fadeaway with 2.1 seconds than a half court floater.
Wow. I'd almost give up Arizona's win in 1997 for the last shot to go in. To see Duke's players watch that go in would have been priceless. Damn. What a season from Butler.
To think, if Howard inbounded the first time, Butler wouldn't have had to use their final timeout. Therefore Zoubek would've made the 2nd FT and Butler would have had a final and better chance at a 3 to tie the game and send it to OT.
+Nick DeVita And if Howard had made his first free throw attempt at the beginning of the game, it could've been 60-60 by that point. Who knows what would've happened? The "what if" game is a cruel mistress.
But butterfly effect. If they inbounded the first time, the position of every player on the court was different, so they likely get a different shot off, possibly different outcome
this game was so intense I remember watching it, i was on the age of my seat this whole last 30 seconds and when the game ended i learned the difference between real life and hollywood sports movies, in hollywood dreams come true but in real life they get crushed:'(
Brian Zoubek's defense and rebound really helped this one for Duke. Zoubek was a sought after recruit coming into Duke but didn't do much his freshman to junior year. Then his senior year he stepped up and just got tons of rebounds and played great as a role player. He's a classy guy, always in a good mood.
Brad Stevens is an amazing coach. One of the greatest I've ever seen. He took this school to the championship 2 years in a row..... ALMOST WON IT if gordon hits that shot over DUKE. The competion isnt even fair. These Duke kids were All Americans. Yet Stevens came 1 play short and it wasnt even his fault, put his guys in the right position
And now Brad Stevens is coaching Kemba Walker in the NBA. Walker brought UCONN from behind at the half to win the NCAA title, against Butler, the very next year.
It kinda feels like Gonzaga just avenged Butler. I remember watching this live and feeling hurt for Butler like I went there.... I don't even know where that school is! ⚰️
@m vonDamn, you're right! I did know they were from Indy at the time. That was part of what had me rooting for them, but I forgot over all the years 🤦🏿♂️ Not a "true" basketball fan.
duke fan or not, whether you think sports science is the most pointless show ever, college basketball fans everywhere will always wonder "what if." that would've went down as one of the most amazing shots in tourney history if it had gone in.
Yeah the Valparaiso buzzer beater is very similar in terms of the shot itself, but the situation is definitely one of a kind. A half court buzzer beater to win the national championship would be amazing
Brian Izzo Coming from a Duke fan, I don’t care whether it means Duke wins or loses, that shot would’ve been the top dog. Especially taking down an elite team like Duke with a half court Cinderella buzzer beater. It was a great game. I’m still a Gordon Hayward fan today.
If that falls then it goes down as the greatest shot in the history of sports. Absolutely no question about it. I keep watching it over and over just waiting for it to drop one of these times.
Duke all day! Forever Duke. We were in Cameron going nuts. Was my grad year too. 5 years later, we did it again on our 5 year reunion. 2020 would have been 10, who knows what would have happened... Thanks for nothing, Corona.
this is my first time to see this moment since it happened live. everyone i talked to or saw the next day was talking about this game. all of them wanted that shot to go in.
as a duke fan i seriously thought that was going in... if it did it would have been one of the greatest moments in ncaa march maddness. sure would beat laettner vs kentucky
the phrase "great game" gets thrown out too loosely. This game was truly a GREAT GAME. I don't believe any team had a lead that exceeded 6 points for the entire game. Very close and intense. Both team had their small spurts where they looked like they could take complete control of the game only to have a counter punch by the opponent. But of course every great game has to have a dramatic ending and this one most certainly did.
In or not, this was one of the best Nat'l Title games ever. A storied program like Duke against a mid-major Butler team. Duke has always been a great team and Butler started rising here in the past few years into a consistent program. Had the shot gone in, it would have been such a historical victory in the NCAA basketball world, but it was a super awesome game none the less. One of the best games I've watched in a long time.
I rooted for Duke but no one deserved to lose that game. Heck the closeness of that last shot almost going in plus the greatness of the game that when he missed the half court shot I didnt even celebrate right away...I took a moment just to gasp after the great game...then I realized wow Duke won lol. It was an emotional game.
