Any game in the NBA is decided not only by the combined offensive skills of the players on the roster but also by their intensity on defense. One of the reasons, a team without better defense perhaps has never been an NBA champion. Before the midrange and the three-pointers took precedence in a player’s skill, the games were mostly played in the paint area. Having a great defense became the prerequisite for becoming successful in the season. One of the underappreciated defenders and shot blockers the league has ever seen was Los Angeles Lakers star, Elmore Smith.
So many games in the finals and playoffs have been decided by the blocks. LeBron James’ historic block on Andre Iguodala in the 2016 NBA finals, Chris Bosh’s block on Danny Green, and Bam Adebayo’s block on Jayson Tatum sent Miami Heat into the NBA Finals. However, one such game that was perhaps remembered for the block was Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 28, 1973. His 17 blocks overshadowed Gail Goodrich’s game-high 49 points.
Smith was an unmovable force on the defense for the Lakers during his stint in the league. Smith had a historic night as he blocked a total of 17 shots in the game. Elmore’s record of 17 blocks is still intact and the only players who have ever come close to Smith were Shaquille O’Neal and Manute Bol (twice). Smith had a triple-double with a block stat in the game. He scored 12 points, 16 rebounds, and 17 blocks in the game.
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Elmore Smith was a feared force on the defensive glass
If that does not prove how efficient Smith was on the defense, he also holds the 3rd most number of blocks in the NBA in a single game. Twice he blocked 14 shots in a single game against Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets.
The block stat for the first two seasons that Smith played is not available, since blocks were only included in the stat sheet since the 1973-74 season. In his last two seasons Elmore played for Cleveland Cavaliers.
Elmore Smith played in the NBA for eight seasons, averaging 13.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game, including a league-best 4.9 per game average during the 1973–1974 season. This record may have been surpassed by Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain or another defensive juggernaut who played before the start of this 1973–1974 season.
On a similar note, in the 1984–85 season, Mark Eaton set the all-time marks for total blocks (456) and blocks per game (5.6) in a season. Both Eaton and Smith’s records are perhaps untouchable, since the modern basketball has tileted more towards offense.
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