National Basketball Association

Can LeBron James Add Shot Blocking To His Game?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

An open layup late in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals was quickly erased by LeBron James and has become the most celebrated play of his illustrious career. The Cleveland Cavaliers desperately could use his rim protection next season.

The most iconic play in the storied career of LeBron James perfectly demonstrates how he has evolved into a complete player.

James clinched the first NBA title in Cleveland Cavaliers franchise history with a signature chase-down rejection of Andre Iguodala prevented the Golden State Warriors from snapping a tie game with just under two minutes remaining in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

For the entire series, James assumed a role he had never previously shouldered before: becoming a rim protector.

Throughout the regular season a year ago, James was held without a rejection in 60.5 percent of his appearances, but that figure dipped to 28.6 percent once the playoffs began.

Since being selected with the first overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft, James has never rejected more than 1.1 shots a night for a season.

To fulfill his lifelong goal of brining a championship trophy to the city of Cleveland, James more than doubled that total during the 2016 NBA Finals, swatting away 16 attempts, including three in Game 7, with his final one serving as the play that will likely define his career.

When James won his first championship with the Miami Heat in 2012, he rejected a total of 16 shots during the entire postseason.

The four-time MVP has dominated in nearly every statistical category except as a shot blocker.

In fact, according to Basketball-Reference, last season James had his shot blocked 69 times, 20 more shots than he rejected all season.

The only aspect of the game James hasn’t truly dominated, aside from his playoff run in 2016, has been as a shot blocker.

In 13 years, James has been named to the All-NBA First Team nine times to go along with a pair of selections to the All-NBA Second Team.

For each of the past 12 seasons, James has averaged 25 or more points per game, matching Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant for the longest streak in league history.

The only players 6-foot-7 or taller to ever average more than 8.5 assists per game are James, Reggie Theus, Magic Johnson and Wilt Chamberlain.

When James prioritized efficient shooting from the field, as he shot below 50 percent during his first six seasons in the NBA, he became nearly unstoppable. James has now converted more than 50 percent of his attempts from the field six times in the past seven seasons.

For good measure, he even knocked down 40.6 percent of his attempts from 3-point range during his third season in Miami, while hitting more than 100 shots from beyond the arc because he wanted to prove he can be an effective long range shooter.

The following summer, he even boasted that he could join Kevin Durant in the 50-40-90 club (50 percent shooting from the field, 40 percent shooting from 3-point range and converting over 90 percent of all free throw attempts simultaneously in the same season) if he truly set that as a goal.

Imagine if James opted to become the shot blocker the Cavaliers desperately needed?

Cleveland forward LeBron James took home MVP honors during the 2016 NBA Finals as he averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. Ron Schwane/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland tied with the Wizards for the fifth fewest blocks per game (3.9) last season and let Timofey Mozgov, last season’s team leader in rejections, join the Lakers in free agency.

The Cavaliers failed to address its need for a defensive anchor last summer, perhaps believing James can assume the role.

James rejected 49 shots and posted only two games with more than two blocks in 76 regular season appearances.

To close out the NBA Finals, James swatted away three shots in each of his last four games.

The 6-foot-8 forward has been appointed to the All-NBA Defensive First Time on five occasions, largely because of his ability to strip the ball away from the opposition.

Another 100 steal campaign from James this season, which he has managed each season he has been in the league, will move him into the third most all time, behind only Jason Kidd and John Stockton.

More from Hoops Habit

Since 1990, 32 different players on 80 occasions have posted at least 100 blocks and 100 steals in the same season, a list that fails to include James.

For all of the statistical marvels James has managed to post in his career, he has only rejected 75 or more shots twice, with a career-high of 93 coming during the 2008-09 season.

Any player making 82 regular season appearances needs to average 1.2 blocks per game to reach the century mark.

As the Cavaliers marched to the NBA title, James led all post season performers in steals (49) and swatted away 27 shots, tying him with Bismack Biyombo for the fourth most in the 2016 playoffs.

James has averaged 27.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game during his Hall-of-Fame career.

If he decides to prioritize blocking shots next season, then he will enter the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame with perhaps the most impeccable resume ever submitted.

This article originally appeared on