Oscar Torres (13) is in position to block this shot.

In basketball, a block (short for blocked shot) occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a shot from an offensive player. The defender must not touch the offensive player's hands or otherwise a foul is called. In order to be legal, the block must occur while the shot is traveling upward. If it is heading downward when the defender hits it, it is ruled as goaltending and counts as a made basket. Goaltending is also called if the block is made after the ball bounces on the backboard (NCAA/NFHS excepted). Nicknames for blocked shots include "rejections," "stuffs," "swats," and "denials." Blocked shots were first officially recorded in the NBA during the 1973-74 season. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1062x794, 667 KB) Description: Blocked shot by Oscar Torres, Pompea Napoli Source: self-made Location: Naples, Italy Photographer: Massimo Finizio File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): User... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1062x794, 667 KB) Description: Blocked shot by Oscar Torres, Pompea Napoli Source: self-made Location: Naples, Italy Photographer: Massimo Finizio File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): User... This article is about the sport. ... In basketball, goaltending is the violation of interfering with the ball or the basket on the balls downward flight to the basket or while it is on the ring (or, in the NBA, while it is directly above the basket). ... The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often said NC-Double-A) is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ... NBA redirects here. ...

Largely due to their height and position near the basket, centers and power forwards tend to record the most blocks. A blocked shot is considered to be one of the most exciting plays in basketball. A player with the ability to block shots can be a great asset to a team's defense, as they can make it difficult for opposing players to shoot near the basket and by keeping the basketball in play, as opposed to swatting it out of bounds, a blocked shot can lead to a fast break, a skill Bill Russell was notable for. To be a good shot-blocker, a player needs great court sense and timing, and good height or jumping ability. A great shot-blocker can intimidate opponents to alter their shots, resulting in a miss. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. ...

Some of the best shot-blockers in the NBA have been Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Mark Eaton, Manute Bol, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tree Rollins, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson, Dikembe Mutombo, Shawn Bradley, Alonzo Mourning, Ben Wallace, Theo Ratliff, Andrei Kirilenko, Marcus Camby, Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard, Emeka Okafor, and Josh Smith. William Fenton Russell (born February 12, 1934) is a former American basketball player remembered for his central role in the Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in the 13 seasons that he played. ... Wilton Norman Wilt Chamberlain (August 21, 1936–October 12, 1999), nicknamed Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, and Chairman of the Boards, was an American professional National Basketball Association (NBA) basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; and also played for... Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born April 16, 1947 as Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr) is an American athlete and retired professional basketball player, widely considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time. ... William Theodore Walton III, better known as Bill Walton (born November 5, 1952), is a retired American basketball player and current television sportscaster. ... Mark E. Eaton (born January 24, 1957, in Westminster, California) is a retired American professional basketball player who was a member of the NBAs Utah Jazz from 1982 to 1993. ... Manute Bol (born October 16, 1962) is a Sudanese-born basketball player and activist. ... Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (born Akeem Abdul Olajuwon on January 21, 1963) is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). ... Wayne Monte Rollins (born June 16, 1955 in Winter Haven, Florida) is a former professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. ... Patrick Aloysius Ewing (born August 5, 1962) is a retired American professional basketball player. ... Shaquille Rashaun ONeal (pronounced sha-KEEL; born March 6, 1972), frequently referred to simply as Shaq, is an American professional basketball player, regarded as one of the most dominant in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). ... David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965)) is a retired American NBA basketball player, who is often considered one of the greatest centers to ever play the game. ... Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo, more commonly known as Dikembe Mutombo (born June 25, 1966), is a basketball player in the NBA, playing at the position of center for the Houston Rockets. ... Shawn Bradley (born March 22, 1972) is a retired American 7 ft. ... Alonzo Harding Mourning, Jr. ... For the British MP, see Ben Wallace (UK politician). ... Theophilus Curtis Ratliff (born April 17, 1973 in Demopolis, Alabama), better known as Theo Ratliff, is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the NBAs Detroit Pistons. ... Andrei Kirilenko (Russian: Андрей Кириле́нко; born February 18, 1981 in Izhevsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union) is a professional basketball player, playing at the forward position for the Utah Jazz in the National Basketball Association. ... Marcus D. Camby (born March 22, 1974 in Hartford, Connecticut) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays center for the Denver Nuggets of the NBA. He recently has won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award[1] while leading the league in blocked shots. ... Timothy Tim Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976 in Christiansted, St. ... Dwight David Howard (born December 8, 1985, in Atlanta, Georgia[1]) is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). ... Chukwuemeka Ndubuisi Okafor, abbreviated as Emeka Okafor (born September 28, 1982, in Houston, Texas), is an American professional basketball player playing at power forward and center for the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association. ... Joshua Smith (born December 5, 1985 in College Park, Georgia, U.S.) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA. He played one year of high school basketball as a senior at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, after leaving...

Shot blocking records in the NBA

• Most blocks in a single game: Elmore Smith (17)
• Most blocks in a single half: Elmore Smith, George Johnson, Manute Bol (11 each)
• Most blocks per game in a season: Mark Eaton (5.56)
• Most career blocks: Hakeem Olajuwon (3,830)
• Most blocks per game in a career: Mark Eaton (3.50)

Elmore Smith (born May 9, 1949 in Macon, Georgia) is a retired American basketball player. ... George Thomas Johnson (born December 18, 1948 in Tylertown, Mississippi) is a former professional basketball player. ... Manute Bol (born October 16, 1962) is a Sudanese-born basketball player and activist. ...

External links

• Career block leaders on Basketball-Reference.com
• YouTube: Bill Russell Block Art