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Cleveland Cavaliers fans will never forget the chase-down block LeBron James made on former Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala late in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
“I went up with both hands, too. I was ready. I was ready for the reverse, or the strong side… I knew I had gotten it clean,” James said about the famous block on a Wednesday episode of the Mind the Game podcast hosted by JJ Redick and James. “That’s all I was saying to myself. I said, I’m getting this s–t.”
James’ comments come around the 43-minute mark of the episode below.
James told Redick about what was going through his mind during the moments leading up to the famous block.
The current Los Angeles Lakers star said he watched teammate Kyrie Irving miss his shot and knew the Cavaliers, with three players below the free-throw line, were going to be in trouble as the Warriors pushed to the other end of the court.
“I’m sitting in the corner by their bench,” James said. “In my head, I said, if I’m correct, with the trajectory of the ball, what I’m seeing, I gotta get my ass back. Iggy’s going to be on the sprint, Steph’s going to be on the sprint, and we’re outnumbered.”
“If I was to follow my coaches’ orders, per coaches’ orders, you’re supposed to get back on the release,” James continued. “I did not get back on the release. I didn’t start to actually get back until I actually saw it was a miss, but in my mind, I could see the ball, feeling like it was going to be a little long.
“I just hauled ass, man. I just hauled ass.”
James said his focus was on not fouling Iguodala and credited former Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith with successfully defending the Warriors sharpshooter and forcing him to adjust his shot “just a little bit” just prior to James’ block.
James, moving at 20.1 miles per hour, then leaped 35 inches to push aside Iguodala’s layup, per NBA.com.
The Cavaliers went on to win Game 7 and the first NBA title in franchise history.
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