Listing the only 5 players in the NBA with 3000+ career blocks

#3 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with the LA Lakers.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring in the NBA is well-documented, as he is the all-time leading scorer in league history with 38,387 career points in the regular season.

However, an aspect of his game that isn't talked about often enough was his defense, as Abdul-Jabbar was certainly a ferocious shot-blocker on his best days, and he ranks third in league history with 3,189 blocks.

Even though the stat wasn't tracked in his first four seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Kareem retired as the all-time leader in blocked shots in the NBA, in the regular season and postseason. He led the NBA four times in blocks per game and earned 11 All-Defensive selections in his career.

---

#2 Dikembe Mutombo

Dikembe's signature finger wag: Getty Images

Dikembe Mutombo was one of the best shot-blockers during his NBA days, and he remains one of the most iconic rim-protectors in league history. Mutombo carved out a Hall-of-Fame career mainly through his defensive prowess, as he won a joint-record four NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Mutombo ranks second in league history in blocked-shots in the NBA regular season, with 3,289. He led the NBA in blocks per game three times and earned eight All-Star selections, six All-Defensive selections and three All-NBA selections.

---

#1 Hakeem Olajuwon

Hakeem Olajuwon celebrates winning the NBA title with the Houston Rockets.

Hakeem Olajuwon could definitely be regarded as the best center ever seen in NBA history, given his unique offensive tools and how versatile he was as a defender.

Often, Olajuwon was able to guard perimeter defenders. Even if it happened scarcely, Olajuwon's abilities and athleticism allowed him to do so. Moreover, Hakeem is the NBA's leader in shots blocked in history, even though he is mostly recognized for his unique offensive game on the post.

Olajuwon recorded a whopping 3,830 blocks in his NBA career, putting up a 3.1 per-game average that ranks third-best in league history. In the NBA Playoffs, Hakeem blocked 472 shots, which is also the third-best number in NBA history.

---