
USA Today via Reuters
Jun 12, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) handles the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) during the first quarter in game five of the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

USA Today via Reuters
Jun 12, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) handles the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) during the first quarter in game five of the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
27 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, two steals, and three blocks. That was LeBron James’ stat line in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. The performance earned him his fourth Finals MVP award, and while King James has produced countless iconic plays over a career spanning decades, few have had the impact of this one. Even Andre Iguodala has repeatedly praised that iconic block, calling it an “amazing” and “beautiful” play. Yet he revealed that play became a source of unwanted attention for his teenage daughter.
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Despite the miss, there were still two minutes remaining in the game. Iguodala’s mindset was then to focus on defending the next possession rather than dwelling on the missed opportunity: “Great play. And then I heard a ooh, and I was like, ‘Alright.’ So my mind is still like, ‘Alright, we got to get back on defense.'”
Even Richard Jefferson agreed:
“Score tight, it doesn’t matter who gives a s—. It’s a missed shot. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first quarter or the fourth quarter.”
While the athletes have already moved on, the fans seem not to have.
“Yeah, that’s how I felt. You know, still go outside. You still these punk a– kids. And my daughter has been abused by ‘Blocked by James’ walking down the hallways,” Andre Iguodala said on Episode 4 of The Richard Show: NBA Finals 10-Year Reunion.
He further confirmed that the fans’ sentiments don’t bother him, but, as a protective father, those jabs hurt, especially considering the legal fiasco that had already occurred in his daughter’s life.

USA Today via Reuters
June 7, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) speaks to Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9) during a stoppage in play in the second half of game two of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
London Iguodala was born on May 7, 2009, to Andre Iguodala and his former partner, Clayanna Warthen. Little is known publicly about Iguodala’s daughter, but Warthen sued the former NBA Finals MVP twice. She first filed a child-support lawsuit in 2009, just months after London’s birth. The court ultimately awarded her $16,000 per month in child support.
“I feel blessed to have a healthy new daughter, and I will give her all of the love and support she needs for a happy and full life,” he told The Philadelphia Inquirer when asked about the verdict.
In 2016, she filed another lawsuit, seeking an increase in child support to $58,000 a month. The baby mama claimed that Iguodala was not covering all of London’s tuition costs and requested additional funds for various personal expenses. This included a personal chef and $7,000 for courtside seats at 76ers games, as reported by TMZ. While Iguodala’s legal team pushed back, details on the case have remained scarce since.
Andre Iguodala’s daughter’s personal life remains private. That’s why the father wants to protect her even more after the legal drama they have been through. Ironically, LeBron James’ block on June 19, 2016, widely considered one of the greatest and most clutch defensive plays in sports history, also inadvertently led to some unnecessary comments. All of this came despite the fact that the Finals MVP has consistently praised Bron’s efforts.
“I’m like, ‘Man, that [block] was so dope to me, too.’ I was a fan,” he said previously. “What do you want me to do? If you enjoy the game of basketball, you should just be like, ‘Dude made a great play,’” he said. “And then all I heard was a sonic boom. It was like, boom. I was like, ‘Oh, it’s like somebody got sh-t.’ It was loud.”
While the play continues to spark discussion among fans years later, LeBron James himself has also reflected on the iconic moment and what it meant to his career.
LeBron James on his legacy block
With less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the 73-win Golden State Warriors were locked in an intense 89-89 tie. After a missed floater by Kyrie Irving, Andre Iguodala grabbed the rebound and ignited a fast break. He passed to Stephen Curry, who quickly bounced it back to Iggy for what looked like an uncontested, go-ahead layup.
Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith contested just enough to slightly alter Iguodala’s angle. This gave LeBron James the split-second he needed to sprint 88 feet in just 2.67 seconds, reaching a top speed of 20.1 mph. James leaped 35 inches into the air and pinned Iguodala’s layup firmly against the backboard, keeping the game tied.
“A lot of people will base a game-winning jump shot, or dunk, or something that happened offensively. But for my legacy to be a block or something defensively to help us win, that’s the ultimate for me,” James previously stated.
“The Block” completely shifted the momentum of the closing minutes. Shortly after the play, Kyrie Irving hit a go-ahead three-pointer, allowing the Cavaliers to win 93-89. The victory completed the first-ever 3-1 comeback in NBA Finals history and ended Cleveland’s 52-year professional sports championship drought.
Written by
Edited by

Deepali Verma
