The 16 Most Clutch Athletes of All Time

Closers from six different sports, judged on what they did when the game was already lost. Arguing about this is half the fun of watching.

1

Michael Jordan

Basketball's definitive closer, with six Finals titles and a catalogue of series-ending shots.

2

Tom Brady

Quarterback with 14 postseason game-winning drives, including a 25-point comeback in a Super Bowl.

3

Tiger Woods

Golfer who converted a long run of 54-hole leads at majors into wins, often on the last hole.

4

Derek Jeter

Shortstop whose postseason hitting over five World Series titles earned him the nickname Mr. November.

5

Serena Williams

Tennis player who repeatedly saved match points on the way to 23 major singles titles.

6

Novak Djokovic

Saved championship points in major finals more often than any player of his era.

7

Joe Montana

Quarterback who never lost a Super Bowl and closed the 1989 title with a 92-yard drive.

8

LeBron James

Erased a 3-1 Finals deficit in 2016 and finished it with a chase-down block.

9

Mariano Rivera

Closer with the lowest postseason earned run average of the modern era across five titles.

10

Larry Bird

Forward whose steal and last-second shots defined Boston's tightest playoff games.

11

Kobe Bryant

Guard who took and made more late-game shots than anyone of his generation.

12

Lionel Messi

Scored in a World Cup final and delivered late goals in the biggest matches of his career.

13

Cristiano Ronaldo

Built a reputation on stoppage-time goals in Champions League knockout ties.

14

Jack Nicklaus

Won 18 majors, several of them with a closing round that broke the field.

15

Reggie Jackson

Nicknamed Mr. October after hitting three home runs on three pitches in a World Series game.

16

Wayne Gretzky

Hockey's leading playoff scorer, with four Stanley Cups and a habit of deciding overtime.