Pedro Oliveira
There is no defensive play that provokes better reactions than a good block, and it is the most valuable element when it comes to defending skills, so it is vital for any inside player to possess a certain skill with which to achieve it if he wants to have a successful NBA career.
In this list we bring you the 5 players with the most blocks in history, who throughout their career showed why they deserve to be in the historical ranking of this category.
Tim Duncan
A favorite of Greg Popovich’s, Timmy D was a transcendental piece for the San Antonio Spurs since his arrival to the team in the 1997 draft, being selected by the franchise with the first pick.
One of the examples of a practically perfect inside player in almost every NBA era. Today, he would only lack a reliable three-point shot, and he would be among the elite again. Duncan accumulated 3020 blocks during a 19-year career (averaging 2.2 per game lifetime), and his defense and dominance in the court was unquestioned by teammates and opponents alike.
In turn, he won 2 MVP awards, 5 NBA championships (being the MVP in 3 of them), 15 selections to the All-Star Game and the Defensive Five of the Year.
Mark Eaton
Not as well known as the other members of this list, the 2.24-meter center left his mark permanently in the NBA, being the player with the highest blocks per game average in history (3.5 achieved through 875 games played) and at the same time, who accumulated the most in a single season (456).
The Inglewood native was instrumental in turning the Utah Jazz into an ever-present postseason contender, assembling an incredibly effective defensive trio alongside Karl Malone and John Stockton from the 1985 season until his retirement in 1992.
He totaled 3064 caps, ranking fourth all-time in the league. He won 2 Defensive Player of the Year awards, 4 block championships, 5 All-Star selections, 2 MVP awards, 5 NBA championships (being the MVP in 3 of them), 15 All-Star Game and Defensive Five of the Year selections and only went to one All-Star Game in his entire career.
3.- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Being the leader for a considerable amount of time, the legend would eventually fall to third place in the ranking, having achieved 3189 blocks in a 20-year career, ending his career with an average of 2.6 per game.
Kareem would also win 4 blocking titles or championships, 2 scoring championships and a rebounding championship during his time in the NBA. Not counting the individual awards he reaped throughout his fruitful career: 6 MVP awards, 6 NBA championships (being MVP of the Finals on 2 occasions), 19 All-Star Game selections, 15 All-NBA selections, 11 Defensive Five of the Year selections and Rookie of the Year in 1970. His legacy is one of the most incredible in the history of basketball and the entire sport.
2.- Dikembe Mutombo
Hailing from the Republic of Congo, Mutombo came to the NBA at the age of 25 in the 1991 draft, being selected fourth overall by the Denver Nuggets. And it didn’t take long for him to make an impact, becoming one of the elite defenders par excellence in the entire league (in his rookie year alone he was already averaging 12.3 rebounds and 3 blocks per game).
Despite reaching the elite at such an advanced age, Deke managed to extend his career to 18 seasons, in which his blocking was so impressive that he created his own signature celebration that to this day is remembered and used by players and fans alike. Mutombo ranks second on the all-time blocked shots list, finishing his career with 3289 total.
With 8 All-Star Game selections, 4 Defensive Player of the Year awards, 3 blocking championships and 2 rebounding championships, the Congolese will remain one of the toughest walls to break through in his time.
Hakeem Olajuwon
Nicknamed The Dream for a reason, Olajuwon was the first pick in the 1984 draft, a class that included Michael Jordan, John Stockton, Charles Barkley and other big names. He played 17 of his 18 years with the Houston Rockets, with whom he won two consecutive championships in 1994 and 1995.
The Nigerian was a near-perfect defender, being able to not only block shots in industrial quantities (he averaged 3.1 through 1238 games), but also able to steal the ball from his opponents far more than any other center of his era (he is the only one at his position in the top 10 steals in NBA history, averaging 1.7 per game by the end of his career). Hakeem is the all-time leader in blocks in NBA history, with 3830, with a big gap over second place.
Olajuwon was also the first foreign player to win the MVP, the Defensive Player of the Year and also to be a starter for the All-Star Game (to which he was selected 12 times). If that’s not enough, Olajuwon was the first player in history to win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and NBA Finals MVP in the same season and was the only one until Giannis Antetokounmpo achieved it in the 2020-2021 season.
