LeBron James, already a well-known member of NBA lore, just earned quite a few extra square feet in the halls of basketball history. His single-handed lifting of the Cleveland Cavaliers through a stunning Finals victory in seven games is one thing, and that earned him a unanimous MVP trophy for the series. What will be remembered even more strikingly, though, is “The Block.”
Superstar peer Kevin Durant said James “looked like Batman” on the play, and it’s hard to summon a more appropriate comparison. Gotham City officials only wish they could record the caped crusader in such high-definition, clarity-of-color footage as this NBA-sanctioned video does, showing James’ already iconic chasedown block on Andre Iguodala from every possible angle.
James’ career was already great, and he could’ve retired a year ago and been a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and one of the best to ever play the game. But his resume lacked a moment as undeniably classic as this one; an instance where every bit of his will was shot into a moment of singular athleticism, at a peak-attention moment; something only he could do. Now James has that moment, he’s enjoying the victory tour. It’ll be a long time before that loses its luster.
