The 2021 NBA Finals have been spectacular thus far. The series is tied 2-2 after the Milwaukee Bucks pulled off a Game 4 win over the Phoenix Suns. It's been back and forth so far, and it looks like this series could go the distance. A Giannis Antetokounmpo block — reminding some of the 2016 NBA Finals LeBron James block — has become the talk of the ton.
We've seen some stellar play from both teams in this matchup. For the Suns, Devin Booker continues to light up the field, Deandre Ayton is playing like a beast down low, and Chris Paul's leadership has given Phoenix the boost they needed. Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing out of this world and Khris Middleton continues to shine in big moments.
During Wednesday night's game, we may have witnessed the single most impressive block in NBA Finals history. Antetokounmpo came up clutch on the defensive end, sending an alley-opp dunk off the glass that would have tied the game up late in the fourth quarter. Many are crediting the block as the deciding factor of Game 4.
GIANNIS CAME UP CLUTCH 😤
A HUGE block when it mattered pic.twitter.com/ZbyMCj8L1s
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 15, 2021
It's reminiscent of another famous block from LeBron James. In 2016, James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals to take on the Golden State Warriors. In Game 7, James chased down a fast break opportunity and blocked Andrew Iguodala's lay-up attempt.
Antetokounmpo's block has sparked a debate on Twitter. The Athletic asks the very question, who has the better block? Is it the Giannis Antetokounmpo block or the LeBron James block from 2016?
Better block?
Giannis on Ayton (Game 4, 2021)
or
LeBron on Iguadola (Game 7, 2016) pic.twitter.com/hIHx0OhqJh— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 15, 2021
Both blocks are iconic and will go down in history as part of some of the biggest defensive plays of all time. There is a legitimate argument to be made on which is better, so much so, that it's nearly a coin flip to come up with a decision. A few factors have to be considered in this argument.
The LeBron James block was in Game 7 after bringing his team back from being down 3-1 in the series. The block is credited as how the Cavaliers capped off their miraculous comeback. Everything was on the line and it led to a championship for Cleveland. This is why many believe LeBron's block is more superior to Giannis's block on Wednesday night.
The Giannis Antetokounmpo block was in a Game 4 matchup, which doesn't hold the same stakes as a Game 7. However, the Bucks were facing a possibility of going down 3-1 in the series and were in a must-win situation. Although we've seen LeBron and the Cavaliers come back from that deficit, it's only happened 13 times in NBA history, and only once in the NBA Finals. The stakes were still magnificent, even with the block happening in a Game 4 matchup.
Now, each block takes a unique ability of athleticism and timing. LeBron chased Iguadola down the court and made a huge block from behind. It's become a staple of James's defensive abilities. However, we've seen chase-down artists before, like Tayshaun Prince who also made a massive chase-down block in an NBA Finals as well.
Giannis was much more skillful though, and much more difficult to pull off. He didn't have to chase Deandre Ayton down. Instead, Giannis Antetokounmpo was busy watching the ball until it was tossed over his head for an alley-oop. The Greek Freak had to follow the ball, turn around, and still have the wherewithal to meet Ayton at the rim. Additionally, the block was head-on and if Giannis was just a fraction of a second late, Ayton would have an NBA Finals highlight for the ages.
At the end of the day, both blocks are historic in their own right. However, the Giannis Antetokounmpo block was a tad more skillful. LeBron may hold the title of best block in a Game 7 in the NBA Finals, while Giannis has the best overall block in Finals history.
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