Blocks
A block is credited when a defender legally gets a hand on a shot and stops it from going in. The ball has to be touched on the way up, before it starts to fall.
The pack lands around 0.2. This season's leaders are out on their own:
- 1 Walter Tavares Real Madrid 1.8
- 2 Dan Oturu Hapoel Tel Aviv 1.4
- 3 Mbaye Ndiaye ASVEL 1.4
What Blocks measures
Rim protection is a real, specific skill, so it is worth counting. One elite shot-blocker changes how the other team plays. Drivers pick different angles, avoid the paint, and settle for worse shots, just because of who is standing under the basket.
How Blocks is calculated
BLK = counted from the official scoresheet
Recorded when a defender legally deflects a shot on the way up. Goaltending, touching the ball as it drops, is not a block and gives the basket instead.
BLK: Blocks / STL: Steals / PF: Personal Fouls
The catch
A block does not always end the possession
A block that stays in bounds can be grabbed by the offense for another try. The play looks great and gets recorded, and the possession carries on. Blocks that go out of bounds, or are kept by the defense, are worth far more than the ones that just reset the shot.
The threat is worth more than the block
A shot-blocker who averages two a game changes many more shots that are never taken. Players pump-fake, change angle, or stay out of the paint. That fear is real defense the box score cannot see.
Seen in a game
In 2025–26 Walter Tavares was again the EuroLeague's best shot-blocker, 1.8 a game for Real Madrid, and Madrid blocked the most shots of any team at 3.9. The number misses the bigger effect. Tavares's real value is the shots that were never taken: the drives pulled up short, the floaters rushed, because he was waiting at the rim.
Common questions
- What is a block in basketball?
A block is deflecting an opponent's shot attempt legally on its way to the basket, denying the score.
- What does BLK mean in basketball stats?
BLK stands for blocks. They are usually recorded by bigs protecting the rim, and even the threat of one changes how opponents attack inside.
- Do blocks measure rim protection well?
Partly. Blocks count swats but miss the shots a big deters just by being there. Block percentage and the team's defense with him on court tell the fuller story.
