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Bradley Beal Had Funny Line About His Sweet Chase-Down Block on LeBron James

Beal knows it was exciting, but he's actually done much better.

Kyle Koster

Bradley Beal and the Suns blew out the Lakers on Tuesday night.
Bradley Beal and the Suns blew out the Lakers on Tuesday night. / TNT
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The Phoenix Suns delivered a message on Tuesday night, easily dispatching the Los Angeles Lakers with a 27-point victory in NBA Cup Group Play action. With the outcome already decided, Bradley Beal was afforded the opportunity to put a little icing on the cake by blocking a LeBron James shot. And the veteran did just that, sizing up the swat from behind and emphatically turning it away.

Scholars will long debate if this actually constitutes a "chase down" block. It feels like it doesn't really qualify because another defender slowed James down and caused him to lose almost all momentum with a spin move. Everyone, though, will have a clear understanding of how Beal feels about the rejection in comparison to other defensive highlights he's amassed throughout his career.

"Not that high, I ain't gonna lie," Beal said when asked where the block ranks among his best. "I know y'all were excited about that, but I've thrown some s--- in the stands before. It was a good block, but I think I had some better ones."

With the victory the Suns are now tied with the Lakers at 10-7 on the season. They also sit atop Group B with a 2-1 record in the chase for the NBA Cup.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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