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Boban Marjanovic believes Kawhi Leonard's buzzer-beater cost the Philadelphia 76ers the 2019 NBA title
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- Boban Marjanovic believes Kawhi Leonard's buzzer-beater cost the Philadelphia 76ers the 2019 NBA title
Every NBA player who is unable to secure an NBA championship usually looks back on his career and identifies a particular moment when a little more luck might have changed everything. And for Boban Marjanovic , that moment came with the 2018-19 Philadelphia 76ers .
The 7'4" center unhesitatingly admitted that Kawhi Leonard's iconic shot in the second round was what prevented Philadelphia from lifting the Larry O'Brein trophy. In his mind, the Sixers had the talent, confidence and potentially even the psychological advantage to humble future opponents, had they progressed further.
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"I think we'd have won the ring then if Kawhi hadn't hit it… because they went on to face Milwaukee, and back then we were 4-0 against Milwaukee," Boban said . "On top of all that, Golden State got through there, and those players got hurt, so it was only Steph Curry playing."
The 2018-19 76ers were solid
Coach Brett Brown's 76ers entered the 2019 postseason with one of the most talented rosters in the league. Sure, they finished the regular season with a 51-31 record, as only the third seed in the East, but it was the balance on the roster that intimidated opponents when looking at that group.
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Joel Embiid led the team with 27.5 points, a league-high 11.1 rebounds per game and 1.9 blocks per game. Additionally, Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler gave Philly two more versatile stars capable of impacting games on both ends of the floor.
Even Tobias Harris, who joined the team midway through the season, quickly established himself as another reliable scoring option, averaging 18.2 points per game over his 27 regular-season appearances with Philly, while JJ Redick added 18.1 points on 39.7 percent shooting from long range.
So, clearly, on paper, the 76ers were stacked, with multiple players who could take over games in the blink of an eye.
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The 76ers needed some luck
Their first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets only strengthened that belief, as after dropping the series opener, Philadelphia won the next four games to eliminate the Nets and advance to the second round.
That set up the matchup with Kawhi and the Toronto Raptors in the second round. When the Sixers were up 2-1, Leonard showed his ability to be the difference maker, dropping a 39-point, 14-rebound double-double to help the Raptors draw the series level.
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Then, in Game 7, Kawhi finished his epic 41-point masterclass with arguably the most iconic buzzer-beating shot ever, handing Toronto a 92-90 win and sending them into the Eastern Conference Finals.
From Boban's perspective, that shot changed everything. His belief is that Philadelphia would have been positioned to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the ECFs before facing a Golden State Warriors team that was hampered by injuries to several of its stars.
However, the regular-season results tell a completely different story. Milwaukee won two of its regular-season meetings with Philly, with Giannis Antetokounmpo averaging 38.5 points and 15.0 rebounds across those two wins.
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So, sure, Marjanovic might believe that the balanced 76ers team could have humbled a Warriors team that had Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson suffering massive injuries, but the Bucks clearly seemed to have the 76ers' number.
That was Boban's best chance at lifting a trophy
For Marjanovic, however, the bigger point is that his championship window had rarely been that wide open. Across his nine-year NBA career, Boban appeared in the playoffs just five times. He was never a major part of a postseason rotation, and his opportunities to contribute to a legitimate championship contender were limited.
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That made the 2019 76ers particularly special. Not only did he have stars like Embiid on his side, but one shot was all that mattered for Marjanovic in reaching his lone Conference Finals.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
