WATCH: Kawhi Leonard blocks LeBron James
Spurs mega-forward takes out the King on a drive, showing off why he's the toughest defender in the league and reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
There was a time when LeBron James was seemingly unstoppable at the rim. After all, his combination of size, speed, and touch means that he understands angles and has the ability to control the ball in such a way as to make it nearly impossible to block.
Yeah, Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs doesn't care about impossible. Leonard played his usual brand of spectacular defense on James on Thursday night, and at one point, delivered this incredible block on the King. Get that out of the Claw's house, LeBron.
That's the same layup move that James has been making for 12 years. The difference is that even when he gets past Leonard on the initial move, Leonard has the timing, length, and paddle-board-sized hands to recover and block him. Leonard at this point is a downright nemesis for James. Everyone remembers James' reaction in 2014 when Leonard checked in vs. him:
James had a strong first half vs. the Spurs Thursday, as the Cavaliers did, but was held to just 3-of-7 in the second half as the Spurs wore him down. Leonard finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, though James did help hold him to just 6-of-14 shooting.
