LeBron James famously delivered an iconic block against Tiago Splitter in Game 2 of the 2013 NBA Finals, which served as one of the defining moments in the Miami Heat's back-to-back title victories.
Nearly 13 years ago, Tiago Splitter met LeBron James in the summit and was devastatingly rejected in his dunk attempt in Game 2 of the 2013 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat.
LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron James
MIN: 33.23
PTS: 22.68 (57.29%)
REB: 5.82
AS: 6.86
ST: 1.14
BL: 0.55
TO: 2.64
GM: 22
This Saturday, Splitter faced LeBron again, but this time as a coach for the Portland Trail Blazers. James, on his end, is still playing strong in his 23rd NBA season.
Looking back on that famous and iconic block that James delivered against him, Splitter offered fond reflections and realizations.
"A lot of people think that my career ended there. That's not true. ... But just a play," he said in pregame of the Blazers' 132-116 win against the Lakers (h/t ESPN's Dave McMenamin). "Of course, a spectacular play, that he did. When you get blocked by a superstar like that, everybody's going to see it. And a lot of kids that I see in the streets [say], 'You're the guy that got blocked by LeBron, that guy.' But for me, I smile a bit. I'm not depressed about it, far from that. I'm more depressed that we lost that Finals. But luckily, I had a chance to win the next year and kind of flush that loss a little bit.
"But again, it's an honor to play and compete against LeBron James."
James' rejection of Splitter served as one of the iconic moments of the four-time MVP's run with the Heat. Miami emerged victorious in seven hard-fought games to win their back-to-back titles over San Antonio.
James also clinched his second Finals MVP, averaging 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists.
As Splitter stated, he and the Spurs ultimately obtained the last laugh. They drew the payback the following year by winning 62 regular-season games and dismantling the Heat in five games of the 2014 NBA Finals. The Finals loss served as the finale of James' tenure with the Heat as he returned home to Cleveland to rejoin the Cavaliers.
Splitter played a significant role for the Spurs in the series, averaging 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 16.8 minutes.
Splitter still played two more seasons and joined both the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers. He entered retirement in 2018 due to lingering hip issues.
Although he became well-known and viral for unwanted reasons because of James, Splitter still had a good career. Now, he’s leading an up-and-coming Blazers team that is set for a bright future.
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