NBA THROWBACK: Reliving LeBron James’ Famous 2016 Block on Andre Iguodala

Published 08/15/2021, 4:30 PM EDT

Some records seem impossible to break until they are done. Recently, it was Russell Westbrook when he did the unimaginable and broke the triple-double record. However, one of the most insane feats came in 2016 when LeBron James and the Cavaliers pulled off a historic comeback in the NBA finals.

In that season, the Golden State Warriors created NBA history as they became the first team to win 73 regular-season games. They went past the 1996 Chicago Bulls, who won 72. Likewise, everyone expected them to win the championship.

In the finals, they went up 3-1. However, LeBron James had other plans as the Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA finals. The series is famously known for James’ game 7 block on Andre Iguodala.

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The 2016 LeBron James block

Everyone wrote off the Cavs after they went down 3-1. Despite that, they did not give up and fought hard in the next 3 games, winning them all to clinch the series 4-3. It was arguably one of the best comebacks in NBA history. LeBron put up a masterclass in all 3 games, scoring 40 points in back-to-back games. Moreover, he had a triple-double in Game 7.

However, his best highlight was by far his block on Andre Iguodala. In the closing minutes of the last quarter of Game 7, the game was all tied up. The Warriors had a fastbreak as Stephen Curry passed it up to Iguodala to potentially take the lead. However, LeBron came soaring in from behind, and it is now the most iconic block in NBA finals.

Kyrie Irving went on to hit the dagger 3 as LeBron James and the Cavs completed the most impossible comeback. To this day, the 2016 series is talked about and celebrated for the famous block.

How good was ‘The King’?

James certainly owned these NBA finals. He was the reason Cleveland could complete the comeback. LeBron told his teammates that they should not get on the plane if they didn’t believe they could win. His determination and never-give-up attitude is what saw the Cavs through. However, how ridiculous were his numbers?

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James arguably saved the best for last as he had his best 3 games in a row. James scored 40 points in back-to-back games (5 and 6). Moreover, he recorded a 27 point triple-double in Game 7.

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His performance saw him named the Finals MVP. LeBron James averaged a stellar 29.7 / 11.3 / 8.9 for the finals. Moreover, he also averaged 2 steals and blocks per game.

Do you think the 2016 finals is the best finals in NBA history? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Anuj Talwalkar is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He is a student studying at NM College in Mumbai, aspiring to pursue sports management to follow his love for sports. Anuj started following the NBA last year, and he loves to combine his passion for writing with his understanding of basketball.

NBA THROWBACK: Reliving LeBron James’ Famous 2016 Block on Andre Iguodala

The 2016 LeBron James block

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How good was ‘The King’?