Nearly a decade later, LeBron James‘ legendary chase-down block in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals remains one of the most replayed moments in basketball history. For Andre Iguodala, however, the play still follows him in ways few fans probably realize.
Speaking on The Richard Show with former Cavaliers star Richard Jefferson, Iguodala revisited the iconic sequence that helped swing the championship in Cleveland’s favor. While Iguodala has always praised the play itself, he revealed that the moment has had an unexpected impact on his family, particularly his daughter.
“LeBron always said, ‘Just swipe in front of a guy. Just give me a split second. That’s all you need.'”
“Had I not had the back issue, and I never say this because I don’t want to make excuses, I’m dunking it. But in that moment, I’m thinking, you can miss a dunk. So you see me do this, and I’m like, ‘Oh snap, he got in the way.’ And I’m thinking, ‘Just make the layup. Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t do anything crazy.’ Then all I heard was like a sonic boom.”
“It was like, ‘Boom.’ I was like, ‘Oh, it’s like somebody got shot.’ Because when I laid it off the glass, I thought, ‘Alright, just put it on the glass.’ So when I heard it, I was waiting on the whistle for a goaltend because I never saw him. I was just like, ‘Just put it on the glass.’ Barely. Great play.”
“Then I heard the crowd, and I was like, ‘Alright, just get back on defense… You still got these punk-ass kids.’ And my daughter has been abused by ‘Blocked By James’ walking down the hallways.”
For Iguodala, though, the play has never been something he has tried to run from. In fact, he has repeatedly praised it over the years.
What stands out is that Iguodala seems far less bothered by the play itself than by the way some fans continue to bring it up around his family. His daughter had nothing to do with Game 7, yet she still hears references to the block while walking through school hallways nearly ten years later.
The play eventually became known simply as ‘The Block.’ It remains one of the defining moments of LeBron’s career and a key reason why the Cavaliers completed the first 3-1 comeback in NBA Finals history.
That speaks to how massive the moment became. LeBron’s chase-down block will forever be part of NBA history. It helped deliver Cleveland its first championship in 52 years and cemented James’ legacy among the greatest players ever.
But as Iguodala’s comments show, some iconic moments never truly stay on the court. Sometimes they follow players, and even their families, long after the final buzzer sounds.
