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There have been countless great blocks in the history of the game, to name a couple, Roy Hibbert's block on Carmelo Anthony in Game 6 of the 2013 Eastern Conference Semi-finals (ECSF) or the Chicago Bulls trio of Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and Michael Jordan denying Charles Smith at the rim in game 5 of the 1993 ECF.
In both the cases, the team with the decisive defensive play won the game and the series. While not as glamorous as a dunk or a half-court shot, a great defensive play's weight is worth gold. Or as the old adage goes: "Defense wins championships."
With a history full of highlight-worthy rejections, which ones are the cream of the crop? Let's count them down.
#5: LeBron James goes supernova
No better way than to start with the King, is there?
Trailing 0-1 in the 2013 NBA Finals to the San Antonio Spurs and having lost the home court advantage, game 2 was a must win for the Miami Heat. Leading by 19 with just over 8 minutes left, the lead seemed safe.
But with a well-oiled machine like the Spurs coupled with the fact that Miami lost a 15 point advantage just two years prior to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals on their home floor in over 6 minutes, nothing was certain.
LeBron James made sure that lightning did not strike twice.
Tony Parker ran a perfect pick and roll and dumped the ball to Splitter for what seemed like an easy dunk but the King awaited the Brazilian at the rim. Combining his high basketball IQ with incomparable athleticism, the Ohio native produced a block which closed the door on any hope of a Spurs' comeback.
Nike was not wrong when they said, " WE ARE ALL WITNESSES"
#4: Paul Pierce wins it for the Nets
"THIS IS WHY THEY GOT ME HERE!"
For moments like these, Brooklyn Nets traded for Paul Pierce. Always touted as a clutch performer, Paul Pierce lived up to the billing. Just not in the way one would expect.
With just 6.2 seconds left in regulation of game 7 in the 1st round matchup of the 2014 NBA Playoffs, the Raptors trailed 103-104 and had the ball with Kyle Lowry.
It all seemed the perfect ending for the team from the North. The Raptors' All-Star point guard penetrated the double team of Kevin Garnett and Deron Williams to flip up the series-winning bucket.
Only it was not meant to be. The Boston Celtics' legend sent the ball back from where it came and sent the Nets to the second round.
In the end, the Toronto Raptors just could not handle 'the Truth'.
#3: Prince with a king like rejection
The Tayshaun Prince block on Reggie Miller has etched its place in history.
In a grind-out affair and under 20 seconds to go, the Detroit Pistons lead 69-67 against the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals when the Pacers' legend, Reggie Miller got the ball on what seemed an easy breakaway game-tying layup.
Already leading 1-0 in the series, the opportunity was there for the team out of Indiana to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
Enter Tayshaun Prince.
The long and lanky small-forward in just his second year as a pro chased down the ball like a mouse chasing a cheese and stuffed the ball against the backboard and snuffed out any hope of a Pacers' win.
Even a veteran like Miller who had played against the likes of Jordan, Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, was left astounded at what just happened.
The Pistons won the game, the series, and the NBA championship.
Maybe none of them would have been possible without a small feat of inspiration from the small forward out of Compton, California.
#2: One closer to the 'Dream'
With Michael Jordan retired, the door was open for a new team to take place at the top of the NBA food chain. With that at stake, the Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks battled it out for the 1994 NBA Championship which pitted two of the game's greatest players, Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing locking horns.
Leading 3-2, the Knicks arrived in Houston for Game 6 and 7 to try to win their 1st championship ever.
And the stage was perfectly set, trailing 84-86, the ball was given to the Knicks' shooting guard, John Starks, who had been the star of the evening for them, to take them home and provide the perfect ending.
But it was not to be. The all-around defensive brilliance of Hakeem came to the forefront as the nimble-footed giant made the play of the series as he blocked a potential championship-winning shot and deflected the ball with a finger (a finger!) to secure the win for the Houston Rockets.
The Houston Rockets won game 7, 90-84 to give them their first of two successive NBA championship and sending The Dream towards basketball immortality.
As for John Starks, he never recovered as he shot a paltry 2 out of 18 shots and scoring just 8 points in Game 7.
#1: 'The Block'
"Iguodala to Curry, back to Iguodala, up for the layup! Oh! Blocked by James! LeBron James with the rejection!"
The single greatest display of being a superhuman in the history of the game. The defining moment of LeBron James' career.
With Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals on the floor of the Golden State Warriors, the only 73-win team in the history of the game who also possessed the only ever unanimous MVP in Stephen Curry, it would have taken something special for the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the championship.
It might have been LeBron James' single greatest moment.
With the game tied at 89-89 and less than two minutes remaining, the team from Oakland ran a semi-fast break with Andre Iguodala and Stephen Curry leading the way on what seemed to be a sure-fire invaluable two points.
But nothing is safe when LeBron James is in your rearview.
Closing in like a lion chases down his prey, LeBron James zoomed out of nowhere and pinned the ball against the backboard.
The block changed the momentum of the game and the mood inside the building. Moments later, LeBron James iced the game when he drained 1 out of 2 free throws to give the Cavaliers an unassailable 4-point lead.
Helping to seal the Cavaliers' 1st NBA championship and James' 3rd overall, 'The Block' is the greatest and the most emphatic block in the history of the game.
