Tuesday night’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard had the basketball world buzzing, including recently retired Cavalier big man Channing Frye.
After endorsing it as the most cold-blooded shot in NBA history, he was later forced to clarify his proclamation after someone pointed to former Cavs guard Kyrie Irving’s iconic 2016 shot.
Soon after Lillard nailed a 37-footer to send the Trail Blazers to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, Frye offered this brief endorsement in the unique category.
— Channing Frye (@channingfrye) April 24, 2019
Hours later, someone offered an equally succinct rebuttal to Frye’s comment, with Frye then explaining his guidelines.
Except that! I can’t use any games I’ve been in. https://t.co/AmMMqaDel5
— Channing Frye (@channingfrye) April 24, 2019
While Lillard’s deep shot from beyond the arc did clinch a first round series for the Trail Blazers, it pales in significance to Irving’s unforgettable basket. In the latter instance, Irving hit a 3-pointer on the road in a tie game during the final minute of Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The Cavaliers went on to win their first and only league title.
Frye didn’t see action in that Game 7 battle in 2016, but he was on the bench for that classic at Oracle Arena. As a resident of Oregon, Frye also had a close look into how the shot is being viewed by fans of the Trail Blazers.
Of course, in the case of Irving’s game-winner, it helped earn Frye a championship ring. That will make sure that his former teammate’s score never fades from his memory.