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ESPNTheMag.Com Presents: All-World Power Rankings

Who's the best shot blocker in NBA history?

by Ted Bauer

Getty Images
"Get that shot outta here."

BEST SHOT BLOCKER EVER? HARD TO GO AGAINST BILL RUSSELL ON THIS ONE

What is "All-World Power Rankings?"

This new Seth Rogen/Anna Faris movie Observe and Report comes out today. (Shameful admission: we saw The House Bunny the first weekend it was out.) Seems the flick is about a mall security guard (been described as Paul Blart meets Taxi Driver, which is an exercise in "which one of these does not belong"), so we wanted to do something about "security." Best NBA defender of all-time? Eh. Way too subjective. (It honestly could be MJ.) We decided to go with the most pertinent example of "we must protect this house" (or mall): the shot block. Who's the best all-time at it? Here goes nothing. (You think Seth Rogen can hoop? Likely, no.)

TOP 5
RANK (YESTERDAY) WHAT WHY
1 (44) BILL RUSSELL Some people just change the value of elements within a game, like what Johnny Carson did for late night or Will Smith for G-rated rap. Bill Russell made the blocked shot a crucial element of the game, although like the stolen base, it doesn't get nearly as much love as it should, still. Without Russell, though, it has even less.
2 (800) DIKEMBE MUTOMBO We're taking him No. 2 mostly because of the finger wag.
3 (1621) HAKEEM THE DREAM One of the biggest shames of the 1990s in hoops is that the Rockets and Bulls never met in a Finals ('cuz Jordan was off playing the other ball), because that coulda been an epic seven-gamer. And, could we have seen this a few times?
4 (213) ALONZO MOURNING At this point, it gets a lil' dicey. Wilt has a claim to be higher, so does Kareem, and Shaq might even as well. We're going wit' Zo. Someone made a 3:57 mix on YouTube which entirely consists of Mourning swatting junk into the fourth row. That's pretty much why YouTube was invented, no?
5 (384) WILT CHAMBERLAIN Dude was an amazing offensive presence (100 in a game, eh?), so we slide him on a defensive list, but he knew how to wreck a dude's shot attempt. Watch this video until the end. He has a classic run-and-slap on Jerry West. When you mess up "The Logo," that's tight.

HONORABLE MENTION
RANK (YESTERDAY) WHAT WHY
118 (30,119) CHARLES BARKLEY Above some other centers?!? PREPOSTEROUS. Naw. This guy could block people. Here's a funny one that probably has made the TNT desk a lil' awkward.
927 (1991) KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR This mix showcases his overall skills and not just his blocking, but it's in there. Listen, we know he's got a rep as a malcontent or whatever, but how long until someone lets this guy be a head coach? Give him the keys to the Kings. Can you imagine him running the show? Yea! By the way, we are idiots for not having David Robinson somewhere, right? Argh.

RISING AND FALLING
MOVEMENT WHAT
HASHEEM THABEET (This will be what he's known for as a pro)
MARK EATON (Great blocker, but c'mon. Mark Eaton? Does this make us mean?)


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