NBA Finals appetizer: Relive one of the great moments in league history

LeBron James block vs. Warriors in 2016 NBA Finals

Jimmy Traina | May 30, 2017

NBA Finals appetizer: Relive one of the great moments in league history /

One year later, LeBron James' block on Andre Igudola in Game 7 of the NBA Finals will still leave you in awe.

As Game 1 of the Cavaliers-Warriors trilogy approaches, we recommend watching James' historic block as a warmup.

First, let's set the scene: Game 7, tied at 89 in the fourth quarter with just under two minutes remaining. Kyrie Irving misses a wild running shot. Igudola grabs the rebound, sprints upcourt, creating a 2-on-1 situation with Stephen Curry against J.R. Smith. And then OUT OF NOWHERE, the King comes flying in. We really do mean, out of nowhere as you can see by our fine photo work below.

LeBron used his speed and long strides to close the gap and then sky for what's now known as The Block.

The Warriors never scored again in the game and the Cavaliers went on to a 93-89 series-clinching victory.

How historic was THE BLOCK. It even has it's own Wikipedia page.

Now the question is, what will James do for an encore in the 2017 Finals?

Published May 30, 2017

JIMMY TRAINA

Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.