In the National Basketball Association, a block is a defensive technique that denies an opposing player from shooting. In order for the block to count as an official statistic, the defender must stand in front of the shooter and be within reach (usually meaning that he is touching or has touched the shooter) at some point during the shot’s release without making contact with any other players.
During the game, blocking and protecting the rim are some of the most important tasks of the defense and often, but not always, can outweigh the outcome of the game.
NBA Record
Blocks are measured by the statistics (how many blocks are performed in one game) and by the number of overall blocks made by a player during the duration of their career. The latter consists of the lifetime accomplishments of the NBA legends.
The most blocks in the NBA were made by Hakeem Olajuwon, who played in 1238 games and over time acquired the astonishing number of 3830 blocks. The second place is occupied by Dikembe Mutombo, with 1196 games played, and 3289 blocks. Brown medal goes to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who helped his team by making 3189 blocks in 1560 matches. Just outside the podium, we have Mark Eaton (3064 blocks, 875 games) and Tim Duncan (3020 blocks, 875 matches).
When it comes to average, the victory goes to Mark Eaton, with 3,5 blocks per game.
Single Game Record
Single-game records are the most exciting to follow. These blocks leaders showed how efficient basketball can be, by doing the most blocks per game. Here are the Top Ten Games with the single-game block records:
#10 Mark Eaton with 13 blocks, Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers, 1983.
Despite the Utah Jazz losing that game to their opponent, Mark Eaton, a rookie at that time, performed at his finest with 13 blocks, 9 of them being in the first half.
#9 George T. Johnson with 13 blocks, San Antonio Spurs vs Golden State Warriors, 1981.
It was a great game for George T. Johnson and the San Antonio Spurs, with the team making 20 blocks total, 11 made by Johnson in the second half. The Spurs won the game 131 to 126.
#8 Mark Eaton with 14 blocks, Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs, 1989.
As a player with a remarkable career, Mark Eaton had to live up to his name, and during the match with San Antonio Spurs, he did just that. 6 blocks performed in the second quarter and the fourth quarter is something that only an absolute shot-blocking legend could achieve.
#7 Mark Eaton with 14 blocks, Utah Jazz vs Portland Trail Blazers, 1985.
Eaton, measuring 7 foot 4 inches, was not only great at blocking but a great player overall. During this game, he made 9 blocks in the first half, and also scored 12 points and 20 rebounds.
#6 Elmore Smith with 14 blocks, Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets, 1973.
Another mind-blowing number by Elmore Smith. During this game, he broke his nose and despite being injured in the first quarter, he stayed in the game, directly contributing to the victory.
#5 Elmore Smith with 14 blocks, Los Angeles Lakers vs Detroit Pistons, 1973.
As we can see, Elmore Smith was a very talented player and his placing on this list is not coincidental. His input had a direct impact on this game outcome, as the Lakers were only two points ahead of the Pistons.
#4 Shaquille O’Neal with 15 blocks, Orlando Magic vs New Jersey Nets, 1993.
This game was dominated by Shaquille O’Neal, since he not only swatted 15 shots, but also scored 24 points and grabbed 28 rebounds. It was definitely prime time for Shaq and no opponent had a chance when he was guarding the paint.
#3 Manute Bol with 15 blocks, Washington Bullets vs Indiana Pacers, 1987.
This year was Manute Bol tied the record for the most blocks in the fourth quarter with 8 blocks, and 15 blocks in total. The Bullets won the game, recording 100 points, while the Pacers posted only 94.
#2 Manute Bol with 15 blocks, Washington Bullets vs Atlanta Hawks, 1986.
As a rookie, Manute Bol surprised the audience with 15 blocks in a single game, which was a record for a newcomer at the time. The Bullets won this game by 8 points and soon Manute established his position as one of the best league’s defenders.
#1 Elmore Smith with 17 blocks, Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers, 1973.
This name will be prominent on this list, as Elmore Smith was prominent in blocking. In this game, he established an NBA record by making 11 blocks just in the first half of the game, and overall 17 blocks, which is the most blocks anyone ever made in one game. No one even got close to Smith.
NBA History
As you can see, NBA History is filled with legends, who achieved things impossible to comprehend and definitely deserve a place in the NBA Hall of Fame. As to new players, they don’t make the news, because they have a little bit more difficult task. The NBA rules have changed over the years, making the setting impossible to reach some of the numbers the older generation was providing.
The Greatest of The Greatest
NBA defenders are important because they can prevent an opposing player from making shots and scoring. The NBA blocks leaderboard is filled with some of the most athletic and long players in the league, so it’s no surprise that they’re dominating on defense too.
Last Words
But it’s not only the physical attributes that make a good defense. The records were established because of outstanding strategies and techniques, which are to this day copied by new school blocks leaders.
At the end of this article, we leave you with two questions. How many blocks do you think you could manage in one game? Do you think you can break the NBA record?
Who has the most blocks in a single NBA season?
In the 1984-85 season, Mark Eaton achieved a staggering 5.56 blocks per game and 456 total blocks. Both of these records still stand today.
