As a professional basketball league, the NBA has seen some of the most impressive players throughout history. These are high achieving offensive and defensive individuals with a huge capacity for agility and skill.
However, something that makes players stand out within the NBA is their ability to block shots consistently. Here are some of the top shot blockers in playoff history, with the total blocks in the playoffs.
For more information about the significance of the players below in terms of their defensive ability, check out DFS NBA.
Tim Duncan – 568
Averaging two blocks per game, Duncan is widely believed to be one of the most underrated NBA players out there. His defense ability was unmatched during the height of his 19-year career, and Duncan was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team first team eight times.
This champion retired with a career total of 3,020 blocks, and was one of the best defensive players that the NBA has ever seen. Duncan’s knowledge of the game gave him the advantage over his opponents, and allowed him to be a highly valuable player.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 476
He may have been known as one of the greatest scorers of all time, but Abdul-Jabbar retired as the NBA’s leader in shots blocked in 1989.
With 3,189 total blocks and 9,394 defensive rebounds, Abdul-Jabbar maintained an impressive record for blocking shots as well as games played and field goals made. He was named to 19 All-Star games, and was the NBA leader in blocks four times.
Abdul-Jabbar is also considered to be one of the greatest post-defenders in the history of the NBA, who demonstrated an impressive knowledge of the game which was evident on the court.
Hakeem Olajuwon – 472
Another player with a range of impressive stats is Hakeem Olajuwon, who averaged 3 blocks, and 1.75 steals per game. During his eighteen-year career, Olajuwon totaled 3,830 shot blocks. Many regard this player’s skills to make him the king of NBA blocks, and it is difficult to compete with such impressive numbers!
Shaquille O’Neal – 459
Everybody knows Shaquille O’Neal as a superstar player who is an excellent all-rounder. He completed 2,732 blocks in total at the end of his career, and was given the nickname ‘Most Dominant Ever’ or MDE for short.
From Rookie of the Year titles to MVP awards, nobody dominated the NBA more than Big Shaq himself.
David Robinson – 312
He may have ended his career totaling 20,790 points, but David Robinson also maintained a highly impressive record of 3 blocks per game on average. With 2,954 blocks by the time he retired, Robinson was an NBA All-Star ten times.
He received a great deal of recognition through the form of Defensive Player of the Year awards, and was a highly valuable addition to the San Antonio Spurs.
Robert Parish – 309
Another NBA player who maintained an incredibly strong defense during his career is Robert Parish. He is known for his 9.1 rebounds per game on average, and 2,361 blocks in total. With a reputation for carrying out many rebounds late in the game, Parish was an incredibly impressive player during the height of his NBA career.
Patrick Ewing – 303
With a 16-season professional career, Ewing is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the New York Knicks. He played in nine All-Star games, and totaled 2,894 blocks by the end of his career. That’s 2.4 blocks per game on average!
Serge Ibaka – 292
Although he has not gained All-Star status, Serge Ibaka is one of the top shot blockers that is still active. He was a two-time blocks champion, and is the Oklahoma City Thunder’s all-time leader in blocks. Ibaka has a total of 1,752 blocks, which averages to 1.9 per game.
Kevin McHale – 281
McHale was an essential part of the Boston Celtics, where he remained for the duration of his professional career. On average, McHale blocked 1.7 shots per game and totaled 1,690 blocks by the time of his retirement. He was named an All-Star seven times, and entered the Hall of Fame in 1999.
LeBron James – 252
Another player who is considered basketball royalty is LeBron James, also nicknamed King James. In spite of being an MVP on multiple occasions and one of the most consistent scorers that the NBA has ever seen, James blocked 1,041 shots by the end of his career.
It is this that puts the superstar player at the end of the list, rather than the top. James was an incredibly high achiever as a professional player, although he was a far better offensive player than defensive.
Summary
The NBA has seen an enormous selection of high achieving players with a range of talent and enthusiasm. Because of this, the records are continuing to change, and individuals are becoming more well-rounded as a result.
Make sure you are looking out for the next NBA rookies to see how their blocking ability contributes to the success of their team.
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