Get That Weak Stuff Outta Here: The 50 Nastiest Blocks In NBA History

Defense is the quintessential staple of any championship team. If a team wants to thrive as a dynasty, they'll be required to have a defense that could hold its own and support the team on both sides of the court. When it comes down to the paint and the last line of defense, it is then that the block becomes the most important part of the defense.

Blocking occurs when an opponent attempts a shot and before it reaches its apex, it is swatted away by a defender. Not only is it an extremely reliable form of defense, but it is also one of the most emphatic events during an NBA regulation game. While some blocked shots are made solely for a defensive purpose to prevent a shot from happening, other times it can be used for emphasis and authority.

If a defender blocks a shot into the seats, its a message sent to the entire team stating that if you come into the paint again, you're going to need to retrieve it from the fans after being embarrassed. The authoritarian figure of a seven foot behemoth swatting shots from the paint into the third row could make any NBA player to take strictly jump shot's the rest of the way.

Players like Dikembe Mutombo, Dwight Howard, and Hakeem Olajuwon have made a career of being that guy. They know how to establish their authority in the paint and they know when to send shots across the court and when to keep the ball in play and start a fast break for your team. A block is just as effective as any steal and can change the gam eplan of an opposing team after seeing that the paint is off-limit's.

Some blocks are strictly to help the team start a fast break, but the blocks on this particular list are just plain nasty.

50. Josh Smith Glasses Chris Bosh's Dunk and Gives Himself Two Points

Josh Smith has established as an up and comer in this league and has been feared by defenders for his athleticism and ability to block shot's just as well as any seven foot center. At only 6'9", Smith is an oddity when it comes to shot blockers as he has averaged two blocks per game over his six year career and has averaged as much as three in the 2006-'07 season.

In a game against the Toronto Raptors, Chris Bosh appeared to have an open lane after Smith left him to defend another player. What Bosh didn't realize is that Smith contains the ability to keep up with nearly any player in the league as he goes on to glass Bosh's dunk attempt and then races down court for the easy two points plus the foul.

Hustle points at it's finest.

49. Earl Boykins Does What No Little Man Has Done Before

Blocking is usually meant for the most athletic and tallest of NBA players. The 5'5" Earl Boykins however decided to break the stereotype by making a highlight reel block of his own.

With 31 blocks in his entire career, none were more impressive than the one he had on the driving Lionel Chalmers who thought he had an easy two until Boykins came flying by to prevent the lay up and proving that the Los Angeles Clippers can never catch a break.

48. Kobe Bryant Blocks Anthony Randolph's Dunk

At 6'10", Anthony Randolph can be a difficult player to block especially when he's attempting a dunk. Kobe Bryant however is arguably the best player in the league and is a lock-down defender as well. When Randolph attempted a dunk on Lamar Odom, Bryant decided to put an end to the emphatic two points.

Kobe is one of the top shot-blocking guards of all time and put it on display by blocking Randolph's dunk attempt and preventing the easy two.

47. Ben Wallace Eats Tracy McGrady's Shot For Dinner

In his heyday, Ben Wallace was one of the most feared defenders in the NBA. His intensity was the staple of the Pistons defense in the 2000's and brought them a title in the process. While his age has kept him from producing as well as he's used to, he was a feared shot-blocker throughout the late 1990's and 2000's.

When Tracy McGrady attempted a difficult shot, 'Big' Ben Wallace made sure that there would be no chance that T-Mac was going to make the two points without too much difficulty.

46. Scottie Pippen Adds Another Aspect to His Defense

Scottie Pippen is easily one of the greatest defenders of our time. While he is known more for his perimeter and one-on-one defense, he has been known to block a few shots and nobody knows that better than one unsuspecting Los Angeles Laker.

Antonio Harvey appeared to have a wide-open dunk before Pippen came from the weak side to pin his attempt and lead to a Chicago Bulls fast break. If you become known as an excellent defender, you have to control nearly aspect of the court as a defender and Pippen made sure that Antonio Harvey knew that he was a shot blocker as well as a lock down defender.

45. Gerald Wallace Repels Udonis Haslem at the Rim

Gerald 'Crash' Wallace is one of the more well-rounded players in the league as he can score, shoot, pass, and defend as well. In fact, his shot-blocking is some of the best by any other player in the league. It only makes it more impressive that he's only 6'7".

When the 6'10" Udonis Haslem went for an easy fast-break dunk, Wallace quickly turned around under the rim and sent back the dunk attempt that should have given the Miami Heat an easy two points.

44. LeBron James Goes Sky High To Block Brandon Roy

LeBron James is no doubt the most athletic specimen to have ever stepped onto an NBA court. At 6'7" and 275 pounds, James is a freak of nature who can play just about any position and can handle just about every aspect of the game.

In a close game with the Portland Trail Blazers and Brandon Roy needing a basket to keep the game close, James did what he does best on defense by blocking Roy's shot with emphasis. On a floater by Roy, James blocked the shot at the apex and sent it to the fifth row for a lucky fan to catch.

43. Shaquille O'Neal Makes Sure Michael Jordan Knows His Name

Michael Jordan has no trouble scoring at will. Typically when he goes against 7'1" monsters in Shaquille O'Neal however it can come as more of challenge than usual.

When Jordan drove to the lane for what appeared to be another easy two points, he had no idea that O'Neal was there waiting to pounce on the soft lay in that would give him an easy blocked shot. It doesn't take a philosopher like 'The Great Aristotle' to know how dominant of a player Shaq can be in the paint.

42. Hakeem Olajuwon Gets His Revenge on Kevin Johnson

Many people know of Kevin Johnson's dunk on Hakeem Olajuwon, but not many know of Hakeem Olajuwon's block on Kevin Johnson.

KJ appeared ready for an easy dunk after an impressive outlet pass from the other side of the court, but he had no idea that the greatest shot blocker in NBA history was racing down the court to make sure that wouldn't happen. Hakeem swatted the shot right before Johnson could lay it in and it was then that the balance of shot-blocking and poster dunking was restored.

41. The Birdman Spikes Rudy Fernandez's Shot

The Denver Nuggets had already given enough trouble for Rudy Fernandez on this particular drive as he had difficulty driving against four players. What he didn't realize was that there was a tattooed player that makes a career out of the opportunities that Fernandez had given him on the weak lay up attempt.

Chris 'Birdman' Andersen of course blocked the shot, but rather than just blocking it, he spiked it into Fernandez's face which then went out of bounds. Andersen then ended the play as we would expect by running his hands through his hair.

40. Alonzo Mourning Gives Josh Smith Some of His Own Medicine

When it comes down to blocking dunks, no one does it much better than Alonzo Mourning. He will attempt a block on any shot attempt near him and it usually results in another shot-block for one of the game's legends.

When the upstart Josh Smith had plans of dunking an easy two points on Mourning, Zo had other ideas and emphatically blocked Smith's shot by going straight up and repelling the shot. You can possibly fill an entire top 50 out of the dunks that Zo has sent back, but the one he had on Josh Smith is enough to speak for the rest of them.

39. LeBron James Blocks The City of Milwaukee

Before Mo Williams was a prominent member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was a quality player on the Milwaukee Bucks. For some reason, I have reason to believe that he joined the Cavs solely to not have his shot sent to the rafters by LeBron James again.

Williams attempted a lay up after receiving a cross-court pass from T.J. Ford, but didn't realize that James was coming from the weak side to completely annihilate his shot and send it a few rows into the Bradley Center crowd.

38. Lionel Hollins Doesn't Care for Kenyon Martin Embarrassing His Players

Kenyon Martin might not have lived up to the potential he brought to the NBA ranks as the number two picks, but he certainly does know how to block a shot just as good as anyone else. The Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins however does not care how good of a shot blocker K-Mart is.

After Martin sent the 7' Hamad Haddadi's shot into the second row behind the Grizzlies bench, he cockily strutted over to where the ball was sent and asked for it back from the fan that caught it. Hollins got in the middle of the exchange and instead sent it to the third row with a block of his own.

37. Dwight Howard Starts Out the Game With a Bang

Dwight Howard has quickly become the league's top shot blocker. His size, athleticism, and precise timing allows him to block shot's at will and helped his Orlando Magic contest for an NBA title over the past few years.

Early on in a game with the Detroit Pistons, Richard Hamilton thought he could take an open leaning jumper from the foul line with Howard as the only player between himself and the first points of the game. Dwight made sure the game remained at 0-0 by sending Hamilton's shot out of bounds and sending a message for the rest of the game.

36. Ben Wallace and Ron Artest's First Exchange

Everybody knows what happened when Ron Artest and Ben Wallace met that one fateful day at the Palace at Auburn Hills, but not many recall one of their first meetings when Artest was a Pacer and Wallace was a Piston in the 2003 season.

Artest beat his defender off the dribble and went for the lay in, but then saw the two points turn into an inbound pass as 'Big' Ben Wallace quickly reacted to Artest's drive by sending it near half court. Perhaps this led to the bad blood that would spill over nearly a year later?

35. Dikembe Mutombo Makes His Presence Felt, Even Late in His Career

Even as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, Dikembe Mutombo was still swatting shots. In his lone finals apperance as a member of the Sixers when he faced off against the Los Angeles Lakers, he made sure to have his presence felt.

When Kobe Bryant attempted a dunk along the baseline, Mt. Mutombo would have no part of it as he would pin Bryant's dunk to the glass. The carom would go to another Laker who appeared to be intimidated by Mutombo's appearance and put up a bad shot that Deke would rebound.

34. Kobe Bryant Doesn't Need One Hand to Block a Shot

Usually when a player receives a pass near the rim with the closest defender next to him at the three-point line, it should result in an easy lay up. When Kobe Bryant is that defender though, it can be more difficult than it appears.

The New Orleans Hornets' Rasual Butler thought he had an easy lay in, but Bryant easily pinned Butler's shot to the glass with two hands and came away with the ball without it hitting the court. It only shows off Bryant's desire to win as nearly any other NBA player would have given up on the shot if they were 20 feet away from the initial catch.

Bryant is not like any other NBA player.

33. Dwight Howard Makes His Presence Felt in the Paint Once Again

Josh Smith is a talented offensive player when close to the rim. He can score easily when given an open lane and can hit close range shots with ease as well. When Dwight Howard is near the rim however, scoring can become a lot more difficult.

Smith tried a soft hook shot against the Magic defense, but didn't realize that Howard was waiting for the shot the entire time. When Josh finally took the shot, Dwight responded by attempting to grab the shot, but failing in the process as he couldn't get a grip on the ball and letting it go out of bounds.

Judging by the 64-49 score, I think the Magic survived.

32. Andrei Kirilenko Shoots Down Jason Richardson's Shot Attempt

AK-47 might be the greatest nickname in sports history and Andrei Kirilenko has lived up the namesake by shooting down a number of shots over his career.

When Jason Richardson decided to attempt a shot against the Utah Jazz during the team's playoff series in the 2006-'07 season, Kirilenko responded to what was supposed to be an easy floater for Richardson by making the team reset due to the fact that Andrei spiked the ball to the three-point line.

Deron attempting to draw the charge wasn't as effective, but it certainly did help.

31. Ronny Turiaf Gives the Los Angeles Lakers Some Showtime of His Own

Ronny Turiaf might not be one of the most prominent players in the NBA today, but I can guarantee that Kobe Bryant and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers know his name. It could be because he was already on the team, but it might also be due to the amazing block Turiaf had as well.

As a member of the Golden State Warriors, Turiaf stunned Bryant by blocking his dunk attempt right at the rim. The blocked shot then led to a Warriors fast break which led to an easy dunk by Vladimir Radmonovic, another former Laker, resulting in a four point swing.

This might have been the most defense the Warriors have played over the past decade and as you can see, it works when they actually try it out.

30. Tony Parker Doesn't Get the Message That Dwyane Wade Is Trying To Send

Tony Parker has made a career out of using his quickness to drive to the rim against much larger defenders. Dwyane Wade has also made a career out of using his athleticism to prevent people from Tony Parker getting easy scores from near the basket.

Parker appeared to have another easy lay up after cutting through a number of Heat players before Wade met him at the rim and sent the shot to the three-point line. Following a quick turnover however, the Spurs got it right back and gave it to Parker who had Wade in his way again. Parker this time tried to finesse it, but once again got a face full of Wade who proceeded to send back the shot again.

29. Steve Francis Confuses Blocking With Dunking.

For the latter part of the early 2000's, Steve Francis was one of the most well-known players in the league. He was a superior scorer and was an All-Star at a time before seeing his career drastically drop off and eventually retiring a few years later.

I can guarantee that Mike James remembers Steve Francis. When James went up for a lay up, Francis rose up from the lane as if he was about to dunk the shot, but then realized that he was on defense and instead glassed the shot with ease and with an excessive amount of emphasis.

28. Kenyon Martin Makes It Look Easy Against David Wesley

Like I stated before, when Kenyon Martin blocks shots, he does it with intensity. When David Wesley fell victim to a Martin block, he then knew what he felt like to be on the receiving end of one of Martin's blocks on steroids.

Wesley appeared to have an open lane for a lay up, but didn't realize that Kenyon was trailing behind him for most of the way. As soon as David put up the shot, Martin pinned the shot to the glass with two hands and came away with the ball in his hands.

Needless to say, David Wesley was a little surprised he didn't get the shot off.

27. Michael Jordan Sends an Early Message to Shaquille O'Neal

Michael Jordan has been known to block a few shots from time to time with most of them coming at the perfect time. This particular block came in very good time as well considering it was Jordan's first meeting with that years number one pick Shaquille O'Neal.

When O'Neal came away with an offensive rebound, it was Jordan's time to send a message early in the career on Shaq. Michael stayed behind O'Neal as Shaq attempted to shoot, but then saw it wiped away as MJ swatted the shot away and came away with the ball in the end.

Michael knows how to give a life lesson even if it may hurt at first.

26. Hakeem Olajuwon Shows His Own Authority Over The Admiral

Even late into Hakeem Olajuwon's career, he was still blocking shots at will. The San Antonio Spurs David Robinson was no different than any other player Olajuwon had gone up against as he became yet another victim to Hakeem's presence.

Robinson thought he finally had an easy lay in at it appeared that he had lost Olajuwon, but then quickly saw that this was impossible as Hakeem recovered in time to swat the shot away and starting a Houston Rockets fast break in the process.

25. Alonzo Mourning Can Still Keep Up With the Young Guns

When I said Alonzo Mourning will take anyone on in a dunk attempt, I meant anyone. Dwight Howard was no different than any other player to Mourning as Howard went in for the easy dunk. While other defenders would shrink away in fear at the thought of getting dunked on by Dwight, Zo was more than ready for the occasion.

Dwight rose up from the semi-circle that represents the restricted area and instead of getting two points from his usual emphatic dunks, he was met at the rim by Mourning who repelled the shot away from the rim. Considering the Heat were down at the time of the dunk attempt, Mourning just saved the team some extra time to score without giving up any easy points.

24. Amare Stoudemire Saves the Day for Phoenix Three Times

Poor Sacramento. They didn't deserve this. Amare Stoudemire beat the Sacramento Kings not once, not twice, but an epic three times with each one hurting more than the last.

In 2005 with the Suns up 125-123, Brad Miller attempted the game-tying shot near the rim only to see it blocked out of bounds by Stoudemire with no time remaining to give the Suns a victory. In 2007, John Salmons attempted a three-pointer with Phoenix up 100-98. Salmons had his shot rejected before it even got out of hands and it resulted in another victory for Phoenix.

The final hit came after Amare hit a shot with four seconds left to give the Suns a 97-95 lead and when the Kings received the ball for a chance to win, Stoudemire would block John Salmons dunk attempt and then Spencer Hawes lay in attempt to give Phoenix another victory.

Every one of the wins came in Sacramento.

23. Kevin Garnett Blocks Gilbert Arenas's Life

Talk about a first impression.

In Kevin Garnett's first game with the Boston Celtics, he would lead the team to an easy victory over the Washington Wizards. Late in the fourth quarter, he would make his presence felt even more against Gilbert Arenas who thought he could try to lead his team back with a lay up. Garnett responded by spiking the shot to the ground, sending Arenas to the floor, and then screaming in his face for good measure.

From Boston to Minnesota, Garnett is still an intimidating figure, as well as a mean one.

22. Dwyane Wade Doesn't Care How Tall Brook Lopez Is

When it comes down to making a play late in the game, there is no one in the NBA that you'd rather have on your team than Dwyane Wade. 'Flash' has made countless plays on offense and defense late in games and he made his impression felt in a game against the New Jersey Nets.

With the score at 91-88 and the 7'2" Brook Lopez ready to turn it into a one point game, Wade rose up to the occasion by going straight up with the Nets center and sending it back giving the Heat an eventual victory in the process.

Yes, this guy literally did everything for this team over the past two seasons.

21. LeBron James Tells Jason Richardson to Showboat on His Own Time

Why Jason Richardson would attempt a 360 dunk when his team is down by two is beyond me. To be honest, he deserved to get his shot blocked when trying to showboat while his team was desperate for a victory against a powerful Cleveland Cavaliers team.

As Richardson rose up for what appeared to be an easy slam, LeBron James came out of nowhere to precisely swat his shot away without fouling him in the process. The block then resulted in a three-pointer giving the Cavaliers a 100-95 lead rather than the Suns tying the game at 97 and not giving the Cavaliers any room to make mistakes.

20. Nate Robinson Rises Amongst the Trees

At only 5'10", Nate Robinson is an oddity to behold in the NBA. He can rise with any other player in the league and has been known to explode at times for big scoring outputs. Many people knew he had a great vertical leap, but none thought he could do what he did to Yao Ming.

When 7'6" Yao Ming thought he could just up without a challenge for a hook shot, little Nate knew he couldn't give up two points that easily and repelled the shot of the Houston Rockets center who was nearly two feet taller than him.

Yao was obviously saddened by the fact that he was blocked by holding his face in shame.

19. Amare Stoudemire Sends Back Andray Blatche's Shot Twice

What happened here was an obvious lapse in judgment by the Washington Wizards Andray Blatche as he tried not once, but twice to score on Amare Stoudemire near the basket.

Amare came out of nowhere for the first block by sending back Blatche's shot right back into his hands. When Blatche attempted to pump fake Amare into jumping, it only made the dunk all the more impressive as Stoudemire timed Andray's shot perfectly by sending it once again and helping Blatche out by keeping it out of his hands and not being embarrassed one more time.

18. Hakeem Olajuwon Sends a Message of His Own to the Mailman

Hakeem Olajuwon has made a career out of making opposing players feel uncomfortable in the paint. His domineering presence is always felt and even when he's not near the player with the ball, he can still make his impression felt.

When Karl Malone lost his defender and appeared ready for an easy two points, Olajuwon quickly erased the shot by anticipating and coming from Malone's blind spot to send the shot out of bounds. The block's that Olajuwon complete are not only through sheer athleticism and size, but from playing smart basketball and knowing how to play the game better than just about any other center who has stepped onto an NBA court.

17. Jason Maxiell Has the Block of His Life

The Chris Paul-Tyson Chandler combination was one of the most feared in and out duo's in the NBA. Paul's ability to be unpredictable with the basketball and Chandler's ability to catch just about any pass en route to throwing down a fierce dunk turned the New Orleans Hornets franchise around.

When the two were ready to complete yet another alley-oop, the Detroit Pistons Jason Maxiell wanted no part of it and decided to finally put a stop to the near unstoppable duo. As soon as Chandler caught Paul's pass, Maxiell rose up and blocked the shot that was sure to make a highlight reel. Jason completed the block of the year instead of giving up another easy two points to the tandem.

16. Bill Russell Gives a Case to Why He Should Be the Logo

The old-school game was certainly something to behold. The pace of NBA games from the 1960's were extremely fast as missed shots were prominent and fast breaks were a normal sight to see on most possessions. Bill Russell was a reason for many of those missed shots.

During the 1963 NBA Finals between Russell's Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, Jerry West fell victim to Bill's presence and shot blocking ability as he had his shot sent back at the rim. Russell's sheer presence caused the Lakers to miss a number of shots on the possession. His blocking ability was a sight to behold, but he wouldn't use it as much as he would need to considering he was the most intimidating figure next to Wilt Chamberlain in the NBA at the time.

15 .Michael Jordan Hasn't Lost a Step

It's strange to believe, but one of the best moments in Jordan's career came as a member of the Washington Wizards.

As Jordan got blocked on the offensive end in a close game with the Chicago Bulls, he raced down court trailing Ron Mercer the entire way. As soon as Mercer went for the lay up to give the Bulls a chance at keeping the deficit close, Jordan raced in to pin Ron's shot to the backboard with two hands and came down with it to give the Wizards the eventual victory.

Do you know of any other 40 year old's that can do that? I didn't think so.

14. Kobe Bryant Is the Reason Why Jason Kidd Doesn't Dunk

There's a reason why Jason Kidd doesn't dunk in NBA games and this is probably the reason why. When he stole a pass from Kobe Bryant on one end, it led to a fast break that appeared to end in an emphatic two points for Jason Kidd who looked ready to slam it home.

With Kobe trailing however, anyone watching the game probably would have guessed what was going to happen next. Bryant came right in between Kidd's attempt and the rim and smacked it against the glass where it would go into the waiting hands of the Lakers Lamar Odom.

13. Dwyane Wade Turns a Good Play Into an Amazing One

Blocking the shot of a 6'10" power forward while standing at only 6'4" is nice enough. Making a 70 foot shot at the buzzer because of the blocked shot is insane. Dwyane Wade is no stranger when it comes to completing insane plays and his block and shot against the Phoenix Suns is easily one of the greatest plays in NBA history.

With only a few seconds remaining in the third quarter, Stoudemire attempted a difficult shot in the paint over the Miami Heat. Wade quickly swiped the shot away and came down with the ball and with a few seconds left on the clock, put the shot up from nearly 70 feet away. The shot would of course go in and Wade adds another ridiculous shot and block to his resume.

12. Ben Wallace Brings the Diesel Down a Few Pegs

Ben Wallace was the staple of the Detroit Pistons defense for a reason. He propelled the team in the 2000's as perennial contender and the teams battles with the Miami Heat were games to remember as the two would duke it out for a shot at an NBA finals appearance.

In game five of the Eastern Conference finals, Ben Wallace decided to take the game into his own hands by giving Detroit momentum the rest of the way for the win. When Shaquille O'Neal received a pass deep in the paint with no one defending him, it appeared that the Heat were going to be two points closer to tying the game. What he didn't realize was the Ben was right there behind him to not only block the shot, but to send the 320 pound behemoth to the floor in the process.

Never has anyone seen Shaq on the floor as the result of a block and there is little doubt that it will happen again.

11. LeBron James Once Again Prevents Showboating

During the USA team's 2008 scrimmage prior to the Beijing Olympics, Kobe Bryant attempted to give the fans watching a little something to remember by completing a dunk. What he didn't expect however was that LeBron James was trailing the entire way.

As soon as Bryant attempted the wrap around dunk, James rose up and blocked the dunk attempt as Kobe was ready to throw it down. Kobe fell to the ground as a result of the block and had some pride taken away in the process.

10. Hakeem Olauwon Doesn't Need to Be in The Paint To Block Shots

The New York Knicks are one shot away from winning their first NBA finals in 25 years. All they need to do is for someone to hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Knicks an 87-86 win over the Houston Rockets and a 4-2 series win as well. With Hakeem Olajuwon on the court however, that would have to come at a different time.

The ball would go to John Starks who shot the ball from beyond the arc which would give the Knicks a series victory if it went in. However the shot never got close to the rim as Olajuwon tipped the ball upon the initial shot giving the Rockets an 86-84 victory. The Rockets would go on to win game seven and their first of two consecutive championships.

9. Alonzo Mourning Wins The Miami Heat a Title On Defense

Alonzo Mourning has been the subject of a number of heartbreaking losses. In the late 1990's, his Miami Heat fell in the postseason on three consecutive occasions at the hands of the New York Knicks. He would be forced to retire a few years later due to a kidney disease and it appeared that a title would never be within his grasp.

Cue the 2006 NBA Finals. With the Heat one victory away from an NBA title, Miami needed a spark to help lead them to victory. Miami was holding their own on offense as Dwyane Wade and a number of teammates gave the team a decent lead, but the fourth quarter came and the Dallas Mavericks began to chip away at the lead. It was then that Mourning came through to block shot after shot that would give the Heat enough breathing room to win the game and the championship.

Zo would finish the game with six blocks and the title that had eluded him for so long.

8. Laphonso Ellis Steals a Block

It's as nasty as they come and it came from the last person you would ever expect of completing it.

When a Minnesota Timberwolf though he could come into the lane and dunk one over Laphonso Ellis, everyone immediately knew he had the wrong idea of coming into Ellis' area. Laphonso reacted to the act of disrespect by not only blocking the shot, but by completely stealing the block away in the process and coming down to the court with the ball somehow in his hands.

Considering Dikembe Mutombo was also in this play, it's shocking that Ellis would be the one coming away with the monster block in the end.

7. Charles Barkley Annihilates the Cleveland Cavaliers

We're not exactly sure what Ron Harper was thinking when trying to dunk over Charles Barkley, but it's obvious to see that it was a bad idea by the time it ended as Barkley repelled the dunk attempt.

The ball would then go into the hands of another Cavalier who attempted a soft lay in over Barkley, but instead saw it go straight into the hands of Sir Charles who grabbed the shot out of mid-air and then made the outlet pass for a fast break opportunity.

The second shot was probably goal tending, but it's Charles Barkley so he has room to get away with it.

6. David Robinson Sends The Charlotte Franchise Packing

You'll need to skip to about 55 seconds in for the epic blocks that The Admiral has against the Charlotte Hornets.

Larry Johnson thought he had an easy dunk as he drove into the lane, but then saw it quickly wiped away by David Robinson who blocked it out of his hands. The ball would then go into the hands of another Hornet who Robinson scoped out and sent his shot as well erasing two opportunities for what should have been an easy two points.

Charlotte still hasn't recovered.

5. Tayshaun Prince's Miracle Block On Reggie Miller.

The Detroit Pistons of the 2000's made a franchise out of defense and they put it on display night after night. Game two of the Eastern Conference Finals was no different as Reggie Miller appeared to ready to tie the game late in the fourth quarter with no one near him.

Tayshaun Prince however was not ready to let that happen. Reggie had a huge advantage over Prince who was a good five steps behind him as he went up for the lay up to tie the game. Prince used every last inch of his extremely lanky arms and sent the shot right before it hit the glass into the hands of Richard Hamilton who would put the game away on free throw's.

The blocked shot would give the Pistons the game two win and the eventual series win.

4. Horace Grant Wins The 1993 NBA Finals On Defense

With a few seconds remaining in the 1993 NBA Finals, it appeared for a brief moment that the Chicago Bulls would not walk away with their third consecutive title. The Phoenix Suns had a chance to put the Bulls away with a shot that would give them the game six win and a date for game seven in Phoenix.

Kevin Johnson would receive the ball at the three-point line and would appear to elude the Bulls big man in Horace Grant. As soon as KJ put the shot up at the buzzer, Grant was right behind to him tip the shot away and give the Bulls the win and their third consecutive title.

Defense wins championships.

3. Manute Bol Puts His 7'7" Frame to Use

Manute Bol was certainly a figure to behold. He's lsited as the second tallest player to ever play the game and his extremely lanky body gave him a spider-like appearance on the court. Even though he was skinny, he was still intimidating as he would use his lengthy arms to block shots at will.

In one possession, Bol would put on a show against the Orlando Magic as he blocked not one, not two, not even three, but four different Magic shots. All four shots came in the span of a few seconds as Manute would completely shut down the paint by himself.

2. Wilt Chamberlain Gives Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Nightmares

Skip to about 25 seconds in for a clash of the titans.

Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are two of the most dominating figures in NBA history. In their primes, they were unstoppable as Chamberlain's size and Abdul-Jabbar's ability to score at will gave them extreme advantage's over any defender.

When the two met up in a game early in Kareem's career, Wilt showed off why he was still the most feared player in the league at the time as he sent back two of Kareem's shot with one of the blocked shot's being the famed sky hook that was seemingly impossible to send back.

1. Michael Jordan Shows Patrick Ewing Who's The Boss.

Michael Jordan is the most dominant player to play the game of organized basketball. On offense and defense he was feared by just about every player on the court that was not on his team and made his influence felt by anyone that thought they could step up against him.

With the game waning down and the scored tied, the Knicks looked toward Patrick Ewing for help. As soon as Ewing received the pass and was ready to turn around and put up the shot, Jordan had already gone across the court and emphatically swatted the shot out of bounds.

You need to watch the video to get the true gist of what happened. You can clearly see Jordan at the beginning of the video on the right side of the court. Ewing is nearly 15 feet away when he receives the ball, but it is through Jordan's anticipation that he is able to send the shot away forcing the Knicks to come up with a different play.