LeBron James might have one of the best defensive NBA Finals moments in league history. His chase down block on Andre Iguodala in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals is legendary. James is known for chase-down blocks, as he has had plenty of them in his career.
Yet, as LeBron is getting older, he has to deal with more athletic and faster players. And that means he is no longer the king of those chase-down blocks. In the Los Angeles Lakers most recent game against the Phoenix Suns, LeBron got a taste of his own medicine.
LeBron Gets a Taste of His Own Medicine
Bradley Beal Blocks LeBron
Bradley Beal is having an improved season on the defensive end for the Phoenix Suns. He has completely changed his game to be more of a factor defensively. There is no better proof of that than the last game against the Lakers. Bradley Beal blocked LeBron from behind, giving the King a taste of his own medicine.
To be fair, LeBron probably shouldn’t have been in the game at that point. There were only six minutes left in regulation, and the Suns were up by 20+ points. Driving to the basket, LeBron tried to do his signature spin and dunk move, but he was met at the rim by Beal.
The crowd erupted, and the moment went viral. Fans were quick to post about it on social media, some even saying LeBron needs to leave the Lakers and go to a true contender.
Bradley Beal’s Improved Defense
This year, Beal is averaging the second-most steals of his career and 0.9 blocks (highest). He also averages only 13.7 field goal attempts, which is the third-lowest. It is clear that Beal has embraced the role of being the third star on a contender, one that has to sacrifice the most to get the job done.
When you watch the Suns play, it is clear that Beal came into the season with a more defined role and the team has utilized him better than last season. Last season, Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker were having trouble developing chemistry between the three. Injuries prevented them from playing together, but they also didn’t have defined roles as much as this season.
Is LeBron Getting Too Old?
Here is the thing, LeBron has been blocked previously in his career. This is not a sign of his aging. In fact, Nate Robinson had an even more spectacular block on James 11 years ago, when LeBron was playing for the Miami Heat and in the prime of his career.
There is no clear info how many players have blocked a LeBron dunk. An article by Bleacher Report claims only nine players have done it, but that is an old article from 2020. That would have made Beal the 10th player to block James, but we cannot be certain. There are likely more players that have enjoyed that feat since then.
One thing is certain, when you block the King, you are getting recognition and social media mentions. When Jarrett Allen blocked LeBron a few years ago, fans were saying that it was the block of the year. Now that Bradley Beal blocked Lebron’s dunk attempt, he will surely get more recognition as a defensive player. The Suns need him to be.
