A ranking of the top-ten most memorable chase-down blocks from Cavaliers superstar LeBron James’ career.
LeBron James will go down as one of the most (if not “the” most) versatile players in NBA history. From his gaudy career averages to his ability to play any position on the floor, there’s almost nothing LeBron James cannot do. James’ defensive presence, though, can be somewhat understated from the typical fan’s perspective. That is, of course, until James erupts from one side of the court to the other like a lion chasing down a gazelle and decimates his unsuspecting opponent’s shot attempt. Over the years, this play has become one of LBJ’s most signature plays.
Here’s a look at our top-ten favorite LeBron chase-down blocks and the players he’s victimized:
10. Kobe Bryant (2007)
Lesson number one: Don’t get cute with LeBron. Not even if you’re a future HOFer. This play came during a scrimmage for the USA Olympic team in 2007. The Kobe-LeBron rivalry never quite reached epic proportions but plays like this showed LeBron wasn’t just going to let Kobe hold the throne without a challenge.
9. Ray Allen (2009)
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of any of the blocks on this list is the ground LBJ covers when running down an opponent’s shot. Ray Allen is gathering for a layup when James is still at the three-point line but James is still able to drill his former teammate’s attempt into submission.
8. Monta Ellis (2010).
Poor Monta Ellis. You’ve got to feel bad for some of these players, honestly. They likely went their entire basketball careers with the belief that a fastbreak layup was all but unstoppable. You’re either supposed to get fouled or the opponent in front of you might strip you. There isn’t supposed to be a 6-foot-9 superhuman destroying your shots from out of nowhere. Nobody told Ellis about this when he signed up. Oh well.
7. Courtney Lee (2009)
Another incredible example of James’ ability to cover stretches of the floor faster than anyone can imagine. Yet despite all of James’ heroics in these Eastern Conference Finals, the Magic were able to oust James and the rag-tag roster the Cleveland Cavaliers put together for the 2009-2009 season. That certainly doesn’t diminish this signature block against Courtney Lee, though.
6. Jason Richardson (2009)
Come on, man. This is just karmic. Jason Richardson tries to get extra fancy (down by two points in the 4th quarter, no less!) and James was having none of it. In the words of famed Cavaliers announcer Austin Carr, “Get that weak stuff outta here!”.
5. Yao Ming (2008)
Talk about going up the ladder. Yao Ming is 7-foot-6, and he never had a chance. This is an example how it’s not always about how you block the shot, but who’s shot you block. It’s all good now, though. Yao is a Hall-of-Famer and can finally rest easy at night again.
4. The Essential Rajon Rondo Collection (circa 2008-15)
We’re not sure if James has a personal vendetta against Rajon Rondo or not but he sure likes blocking his shots. It might be cheating but here’s a compilation of twelve(!) of LeBron’s send-backs against the edgy Bulls point guard.
3. Angolan Olympic Player (2008)
Ok, wait a minute. This isn’t fair. There has to be something illegal about this block from King James. He looks like he’s spiking a volleyball shot against a third-grader. It’s almost reminiscent of Ben Stiller in “Meet the Parents”. Sir Charles Barkley also had some choice words for Angola back in the day. Take it easy, guys.
2. Steph Curry (2016)
While we can only guess what James’s words to Curry were after this block, some would say this was a key turning point in the 2016 NBA Finals. The incident certainly seemed to get into Curry’s head. Curry fouled out shortly after and was subsequently ejected for throwing his mouthguard. Whatever the words uttered by James may have been, the play was a powerful reminder to fans that he doesn’t plan on letting go of his place atop the NBA kingdom any time soon.
1. Andre Iguodala (2016)
Instantly one of the defining plays of his career, this block by James sealed one of the greatest NBA Finals performances in the history of the game. In place of so many infamous woes like MJ’s “The Shot” over Craig Ehlo, Cavs fans now have “The Block” that helped end Cleveland’s historic championship drought. Who else but James to deliver the feat?
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Can you think of other chasedown blocks that should have made the list? Let us know in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.