The 2016 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers will forever be remembered for two plays. The first is Kyrie Irving hitting the go-ahead bucket over Stephen Curry on the right wing. The second, garnering the label of arguably the most significant defensive play in NBA history, was LeBron James' block on Andre Iguodala that preserved an 89-89 tie in the closing moments of Game 7.
Iguodala sat down with Shannon Sharpe to talk about being on the other end of the career-defining moment. The Warriors star has spoken up at length about it, with many expecting him to harbor “ill feelings” about it. But on the contrary, he claims he appreciated it all the same even when it happened.
“I've done many articles about it,” said Andre Iguodala on getting blocked by LeBron. “People expect me to have some type of ill feelings. I'm like, ‘man, that's one of the best things I've ever heard.' Cause I heard it. I ain't seen it, I heard it.”
Iguodala says that he was just like everyone watching at home, mesmerized by the incredible feat at such a critical moment in NBA history. What stood out to him was the sound of it as LeBron James made contact with the ball so hard onto the board.
“It was one of the loudest sounds I've ever heard. Boom! When it happened, I was like, ‘damn'. I didn't even know he blocked it and I heard boom and I was like, ‘man, that was cold.' It was like a fan moment,” the Warriors vet continued. “When he blocked the shot, I was like ‘god damn, that was amazing'. I had that energy.”
Given that Andre Iguodala was an integral part of four other Warriors title runs, it's not hard to imagine how he can look back at that moment fondly rather than with regret. It took a near superhuman effort from the greatest player of the current generation to seal a victory against Golden State in the NBA Finals. Iggy and even the most diehard of Warriors fans have to give LeBron James his respect for making that legendary block, even if it hurts.
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