With the New York Knicks blowing a 14-point lead with less than three minutes left in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, echoes of Reggie Miller rang through out Madison Square Garden.
Tyrese Haliburton made sure everyone understood the connection to Miller's historic game in 1994 with his own hands-on-throat gesture following his game-tying shot.
As Knicks fans reel from the most stunning loss in recent memory and Pacers fans rejoice in the shocking victory, cllct takes a look at 10 of the biggest chokes in sports history and the collectibles associated with them.
Bill Buckner (1986 World Series, Game 6)
It’s one of the most famous gaffe’s in the history of sports. As the Red Sox sought to break the curse of The Bambino by winning their first title since 1918 and leading the Mets 3-2 in the World Series, Mookie Wilson came to bat in the bottom of the 10th inning.
With the Mets down 5-4, Wilson hit a slow roller toward Bill Buckner at first base. The ball slipped between his legs, allowing the winning run to score.
Plenty of items from Boston's collapse have appeared at auction, including the ball from the play, which Mets owner Steve Cohen bought for more than $400,000 in 2012.
PSA has graded an astounding 189 ticket stubs from the game.
Jean Van de Velde (1999 British Open)
With a three-stroke lead at the 18th tee, Jean Van de Velde could have double-bogeyed the hole and still won the tournament. Instead, he hit his second shot into the grandstand and then his third found a water hazard, ultimately triple-bogeying the hole and triggering a three-way playoff, which he would lose.
As is often the case with golf, very little from the even in terms of memorabilia has emerged. The Golf Auction sold a signed flag from the event for $700.
Seattle SuperSonics (first round, 1994 NBA playoffs)
The SuperSonics entered the playoffs as the top seed against the No. 8-seed Denver Nuggets in 1994 and easily jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
In Game 3, momentum shifted when the Nuggets grabbed their first win at home, led by Reggie Williams’ 31 points. An overtime win in Game 4 led to the winner-take-all Game 5 back in Seattle.
The Nuggets found themselves down 11 in the third quarter but rallied back thanks to a spark from Robert Park. Dikembe Mutombo dominated defensively, ending the game with eight blocks.
The Sonics became the first No. 1 seed to lose in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
PSA has graded just two ticket stubs from the stunning Game 5.
Memphis Tigers men's basketball (2008 NCAA championship)
With a nine-point lead and two minutes left, Memphis missed suddenly collapsed. Kansas notched a slew of jumpers to cut the lead to 60-56, then a couple of free throws and another bucket to cut it to 62-60.
Derrick Rose went to the free-throw line for Memphis with 10 seconds left and went one-for-two, giving the Tigers a 63-60 lead.
Kansas’ Mario Chalmers drained a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds remaining to send it to overtime, where the Jayhawks would complete their comeback victory.
Atlanta Falcons (Super Bowl LI, 2017)
It’s tough to pin down a single game and call it Tom Brady’s signature win, but Super Bowl LI makes a great case.
With a 28-3 lead in the third quarter, the Falcons failed to score for the remainder of the game, giving up 25 consecutive points to Brady’s Patriots, culminating in an overtime touchdown for the win.
One of the most unique pieces on this list, Brady’s game-worn wristband featuring play calls for the game, sold at Sotheby’s in 2024 for $204,000.
Nick Anderson (1995 NBA Finals, Game 1)
In just their sixth season in existence, the Orlando Magic reached the NBA Finals, led by Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway.
Facing off against the Rockets, Orlando led Game 1 110-107 with 10.5 seconds left. Nick Anderson went to the free-throw line following an intentional foul, looking to ice the game. He missed both, grabbed his own offensive rebound and was fouled again. Then, shockingly, he missed both free throws for a second time.
The Rockets tied the game on a Kenny Smith 3-pointer and won an overtime.
Bill Walton’s media pass from Game 1 of the Finals is currently at auction at Hunt, along with the other three games from the series, with a high estimate of $250.
Buffalo Bills (2000 AFC wild card)
Showing just how quickly fortunes can flip in the NFL, the Bills looked like they were sitting pretty after taking a 16-15 lead on a field goal with just 16 seconds left in the 2007 playoff opener.
The Titans, however, had other ideas. Frank Wycheck received the kickoff and dished a lateral across the field to Kevin Dyson, who took it to the house for the win.
Topps produced a dual auto card with Frank Wycheck and Kevin Dyson, with one selling for $100 in 2023.
Chicago Cubs (2003 NLCS, Game 6)
Steve Bartman became perhaps the most famous (or infamous) fan name in sports history when he reached for a Luis Castillo foul ball in left field, deflecting the ball and preventing outfielder Moises Alou from caching the ball for the second out of the most fateful inning in Cubs history.
The play was not called for fan interference, and the Cubs completely collapsed afterward, blowing their 3-0 lead and going on to allow eight runs in the inning. Chicago lost Game 6 and Game 7 the following day.
The famous ball from that game sold for more than $100,000 in 2003.
Miami Hurricanes football (1984)
After falling behind 31-0 at halftime, Maryland turned to quarterback Frank Reich, who replaced Stan Gelbaugh and lead the Terps to victory in the largest comeback in NCAA history at the time.
Maryland scored a whopping 42 points in the second half to overtake the Miami Hurricanes 42-40 at the Orange Bowl.
Houston Oilers (1993 AFC wild card)
Once again, Reich’s name would be etched in the history books as he played in place of an injured Jim Kelly and authored a 32-point comeback. The Bills overcame a 35-3 deficit, overtaking the Oilers for the largest comeback in NFL playoff history.
Reich likely would not be much of a figure in the hobby if he wasn’t a part of two of the greatest comebacks in football history. But that name remains poignant all these years later. He even made it into the 2021 Panini Playoff Ticket set as a coach, with one selling for $350 in April 2022.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.