Richard Jefferson played 17 years in the NBA, and without question, the highlight of his career was winning an NBA championship in 2016.
That title came in dramatic and historic fashion, with the Cavaliers coming back from a 3-1 series deficit against the 73-9 Golden State Warriors. But their Game 7 win wouldn't have been possible if not for two massive plays: LeBron James ' chase-down block of Andre Iguodala and Kyrie Irving's three-pointer over Steph Curry.
During his appearance on The Mark Jackson Show, Jefferson was asked which play was bigger. RJ refused to pick one, calling their victory the sum of both plays. He, however, declared LeBron's block the best defensive play in NBA history.
"Can we name a bigger defensive play in NBA history?" asked Jefferson. "The moment, that's what we're talking about, the moment. Like how many defensive plays, like Havlicek steals it, there's the Larry Bird steal and toss back, that's up there, in the Garden where I think he throws it back to Dennis Johnson, he makes the layup."
It happened in Game 7 of the NBA Finals
Havlicek's steal on Hal Greer's pass also happened in a Game 7, but it was during the 1965 Division Finals against the Sixers. Meanwhile, Bird stole Isiah Thomas' pass in Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals to seal a win and give Boston a 3-2 series lead.
While there's no question that both steals won the series for their respective teams, LeBron's block came in Game 7 of the NBA Finals where his team rallied from a 3-1 series deficit against the best regular season team in NBA history. It also led to the first-ever championship in Cleveland Cavaliers history, ending a 52-year drought.
"Like there's three or four defensive plays that like won a series and stuff," added RJ. "So I would say in my opinion like it's up there and the fact that he did it in the last minute of the last game, he did this athletic blur and makes this crazy play, a split second later, and it's goal-tending."
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It would've been a goaltend in the 60s
Interestingly, a YouTube account called Wilt Chamberlain Archive posted a Shorts video of a 1960s play in which a chase-down block similar to LeBron's was called a goal tend. The account said that during the '60s, chase-down blocks where the ball gets pinned against the backboard were deemed illegal, hence making LeBron's play against Iguodala a goaltend if it happened in the '60s . But it happened in 2016, and it was clean.
"I was just like, do not give up on the play," James said . "If you got an opportunity, just try to make this play. I was also thinking like J.R. (Smith), please don't foul him. I know I'm right there, I can get it, I can get it. I was like, 'J.R. don't foul him and 'Bron get the ball before it hit the backboard.' And we did that."
After Bron's block, Kyrie hit a dagger three over Steph Curry that sealed the title for the Cavs. Cleveland became the first team in NBA history to come from a 3-1 series deficit to win an NBA title. And yes, RJ, considering the circumstances surrounding the play, it might have been the best defensive play in the NBA's history.
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