[Highlight] The Stop. Ten years ago today, Kevin Love played the defense of his life on Stephen Curry.
Man he was on an island out there.
I never realized just how open Iggy was. Everyone knew Steph was gonnna shoot that.
Max Kellerman would’ve passed to him
Was the fate of the universe on the line or something?
The death beam was actually pointed right at us
iggy would’ve made it too
He wasn’t that open. There is always a guy near him. By the time a pass would get to him a man would be right there
This is just plain wrong. At nine seconds, both LeBron and RJ are at the baseline while iggy is at the top of the wing. Curry is looking straight at Iggy, but Iggy isn’t calling for the ball nor is Steph wanting to pass.
Are you talking about Harrison Barnes??
Number 8 is in the passing lane and there’s a defender near the paint ready to rotate. He had time to catch and shoot it, but there’s actually a small window to pass.
That’s an open shot for a shooter. Higher percentage shot than what he was going for, anyways.
If it was anyone but Curry I’d agree with you.
Sure but Iggy isn’t a shooter
He shot really well that year as well. Though I’m fine with Steph taking pretty much any shot there
Of course. You ride or die with your mvp. Love just played the best defense of his life.
Yeah Steph was on Love Island
Nightmare fuel for Kevin Love. On an island with Steph Curry with a title on the line
The man moved his feet like a damn tap dancer and stopped him not once but twice on one play
Vindication against all the Love haters
I WAS STRESSING
Game 7 really became basketball mythology. The Block, The Shot, and somehow… The Stop.
It’s awesome how the Big 3 on the team all had extremely important plays.
JR Smith also had a CRUCIAL 8 point run. If he doesn’t do that, they potentially go down double digits and lose.
JR smith is chaos dice personified
Bro will be lost to time, like tears in the rain.
Denver JR went hard as fuck.
We just saw a man fly!
They had AI, Billups, Carmelo, Birdman and JR. I know I’m missing at least one other high caliber player too.
Aura on that team was off the fucking chart.
K-Mart, Nene
That team was pretty stacked
K-mart was who I couldn’t think of. Nene walked so Ibaka could fly.
The interview he did with Jefferson really made me appreciate JR a bit more.
I feel like JR Smith’s blunder in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals severely overshadowed just how great he was for his role with the Cavaliers.
Absolutely. He was undeniably critical to the Cavs winning their championship. As mentioned, the 8 point run… and for The Block, not only did he avoid fouling Iggy, he forced him to change hands which gave LeBron enough time
I mean, that’s a core memory. The entire bar stopped and stared at the tvs like they had just seen the second plane.
There were good stretches where it genuinely felt like the Cavs had a “Big 4”. JR was incredible.
JR Smith was also the one who defended and slowed Iggy on the fast break and turned the potential dunk into a layup, giving LeBron the chance to block the shot!
The Block 100% doesnt happen without JR and somehow that never comes up…
He fucking laced those shots too
1000%. Unsung hero.
We also almost had The Dunk
If LeBron yams that over Draymond it’s the most iconic NBA highlight. Ever.
Bro the way everyone in my house screamed at the tv as he was mid air about to yam that my fucking lord it would have split the universe
It would have been LeBron’s legacy play/sequence. Man, I wish it happened.
Draymond hard fouled because he knew it lol
Honestly I’m fine with his legacy play being the block. It’s fitting for LeBron to have something besides a bucket when he’s always been so much more than a scorer
That dunk would have been his Air Jordan silhouette.
When it missed and was in the ground in pain. I walked into my dining room and sat on the floor. I had never been so exhausted from watching TV.
I’m still angry about that dunk not going down. Like the sheer force Bron has on that is absurd and the timing within the game/series was perfect.
That’s a top 10 biggest “What If” play in NBA history for me. That genuinely would have been insane.
This was my personal Harambe moment. Bron missing that dunk was where the timeline got off its axis.
Been saying the same for years. I was halfway out of my chair.
Do you know where to find a clip of that? It’s been so long I don’t remember
2016 was not good for heart health in Cleveland. 2 stressful and iconic game 7s, wish we had won both.
As a Cubs fan I am happy with the outcome. That Kipinis foul ball still makes me sick to my stomach; there’s an alternate reality somewhere where yall won. I was pulling for you guys against GS though!
That rain delay killed us.
Most iconic year of Sports in a long time.
Cavs 3-1 comeback.
Warriors 73 wins and a 3-1 comeback on OKC.
KD then joins the Warriors.
Kobe retirement game.
Villanova buzzer beater championship.
Colin Kaepernick kneels.
Rise of Simone Biles.
Usain Bolt threepeats.
Peyton Manning retires on top.
Deflategate.
Alabama vs Clemson at their peaks.
Leicester wins the premier league despite basically being a year removed from being a minor league team.
Conor McGregor becomes double champ.
Cubs break a 108 year curse
10 years isn’t a long time in the grand scheme of things, but there are definitely some nephews on the internet who can’t fully grasp this moment if they weren’t around for it. Seeing your big stranded on an island with Steph in 2016 was an absolute nightmare scenario, but Love was not only able to keep in front of him, but did so without fouling. Really an incredible, underrated moment.
Bro Kevin love bit on Curry’s pump fake from the logo. That’s how dangerous that guy was goodness gracious
Yeah watching that I was like, damn he bit on the pump fake that far away.
If Steph leaned in for a foul + shot, that would have been a 3 point play for free throws… or worse for Cleveland, a 4 point play because shot would have potentially went in. Just 2016 Steph things.
If this was 2026 that’s exactly what he would’ve done.
Truly. He could have absolutely let it go from that far and no one would think it was a bad shot.
the clips of gobert being put in a blender by Curry as if that wasn’t something he did on the regular
Not just any big either, Kevin Love was thought of as one of the worst defensive bigs in the game and was on the floor for his offense and rebounding. This was the worst case scenario but he put everything he had into it.
10 years is a lifetime on Reddit imo. You look at the KAT v Butler thread the other day asking who Rachel is and what the story was. That was everywhere when it happened and I can’t imagine if you were old enough to remember it even asking those questions.
In 2026 guys would’ve also not taken that shot the same way. There would be a leg kick out, an attempt to fall, and a prayer to land on a foot.
2016 is still fresh in my mind. It’ll start feeling like an old memory maybe in another 10 years.
Bruh we got cooked putting a big on an island on Steph even in 2022
People forget how the end of this game was like two heavyweight fighters in the 10 round leaning on each other. I think there was a 4 min stretch where no one hit a shot. But it was still exhilarating.
Felt like it was stuck tied at 89 for about 3 hours lol
The most stressful 3 hours of my sports viewing life.
That 18-13 4th qtr box score was prime 80’s NBA. Even when the clock hit zero my mind would accept that we won.
I was in a bar in phoenix with a buddy of mine and we were 2 of 5 people there cheering for the Cavs.
There was an older guy at the bar that I was talking to before the game about our experiences as Cleveland fans that left heading into the fourth quarter cause it was just too tense.
One can argue, the single greatest game in bball history just for the stakes and significance of it all. We’ll never see anything like it again, narrative wise.
They’re all the same on paper but let’s be real: some championships are worth more than others and this was one of them. I would bet if you got a 100% honest answer out of Steph, he would rather have this one back even if it means they don’t get KD and they lose in both 2017 and 2018.
Still wish Bron had finished that dunk on Green lol
Draymond definitely wasn’t gonna let himself be at the other end of a legacy defining play cause u know damn well he would never hear the end of it. Had to hard foul him to prevent it from happening Lmaooo
Yeah if that dunk had connected, nobody would’ve remembered Green dropping 30+ in a game 7 lol
This game was by far had me feeling the most anxious I’ve ever been watching a game as a neutral
I still expected that shot to go in lol
Same. Never been more nervous in my entire life. Hahaha
I mean. Steph has hit that shot 500+ times in his career. If he made that, we would have just been like- all yea. Kevin love didn’t have a chance
Shit, me too
Kevin Love had a known reputation for being a terrible defender too his entire career. Way to move them puppies.
Yeah on the surface this is the type of mismatch the Warriors would’ve hunted for Curry in any circumstance, for it to backfire so spectacularly is why this series (and this game) were so crazy to watch
You could tell it took a LOT of effort for him to move like that there too. But he did it when it counted.
How to get your jersey retired in one play
Draymond wanted absolutely nothing to do with the ball there
Nah that was the right play. Down 3 with the best shooter ever guarded by K Love on an island
even though he had like 31-9-9 or something
Student of the game Draymond Green
32/15/9. He had the best FG% by far, 11-15, 6-8 from 3.
Genuinely an extremely underrated carry job that nobody remembers because they lost. In a game 7 with Steph, Klay, Lebron, Kyrie, and Love, Draymond was the best player.
Which is crazy because Draymond was incredible that game. Warriors lose big if not for him. He absolutely cooked that game.
Legitimately would have won Finals MVP if the Warriors had pulled it out.
I think the pass was actually intended for Barnes who is open for the 3 but dray intercepted it.
Good spot
Probably for the best. It’s nearly certain Barnes would’ve missed anyway
I think James was close enough to contest/block anyway
He saw a mismatch and told Curry to attack. Just didn’t work
Who is upvoting this?
He made the smartest play.
And honestly had the best game of anyone on the court.
If Draymond shoots people would’ve called him an idiot for not getting it back to Curry
Similarly if Curry passed up the shot he’d get all the criticism LeBron did early in his career.
I don’t really have an issue with how it all played out, except if nitpicking maybe Draymond could have bought Curry a second extra to find some space
Which means I’ve been using “well Steph Curry got clamped by Kev Love in the dying seconds of Game 7” whenever someone says something can’t happen for ten fucking years now.
It’s time to change it to “deaaron fox got traded to the knicks mid playoffs”
I talk about this play all the time.
Watching it live all i could think was Kevin love’s soul achieved transcendence and was in the zone for a minute.
He was in the flow state
He achieved singularity.
He went ultra instinct.
Why didn’t Curry jump directly into Love, make a funny face, close his eyes, heave the ball towards the hoop, and then fall down and roll around in pain and get 3 free throws? Is he stupid?
So many foul baiting opportunities missed smfh
I’ve seen Steph make that exact shot more than I’ve seen him miss it. He got a good shot off, he just missed. Everyone on the court was gassed at this point, including Steph. This and the totally unnecessary behind the back pass that was a turnover to me just came from exhaustion.
But, shoutout to KLove for finding the energy to move around with Steph on the perimeter like that considering he was also gassed.
Sure he made that shot many times, but that’s almost all you can do to defend him, and there are many better shots he could’ve gotten against most defenders, yet alone bigs on iso.
Hold up, people actually have a name for this sequence?
The big 3 all had a “the” moment lol
The shot, the block, and the stop
The sip - JR
Ik you’re joking, but his moment was the run he had in the 3rd that genuinely saved us because the warriors were starting to pull away as they tended to do in 3rd quarters that season before he started going insane for a stretch to keep it close
8 point run by himself in the third. Definitely important. Wouldn’t get the win without that.
The Block (LeBron). The Shot (Kyrie). The Stop (Kevin Love).
I thought the shot was Jordan in 89
There are a bunch of “the shot”s. But MJ’s is the first to mind for me personally as well
That was game 5 of the FIRST ROUND of the playoffs.
Not sure why people have hyped it up so much but it was literally to advance out of the first round of the playoffs only to then get curb stomped by Detroit in the ECF.
Kyrie’s shot was a 3 pointer with less than a minute left in a tied Game 7 of the NBA Finals over the greatest 3 point shooter the game has ever seen.
I think it was the first series winning buzzer beater
For Jordan it was, and it was his “arrival” moment.
I am not trying to insult the play, it was a hell of a shot and it hurt to watch. My point is simply that if we’re calling something “The Shot”, it should be one of the most pivotal and game changing shots you’ve ever seen.
I don’t think Jordan’s play is that moment anymore.
I think the Shot should be Jordan’s in 1998 but that’s just me.
When people think of 1 shot in basketball history, it’s that one
I can agree with the 98 shot, that was far more significant
That was The Push
The push was 98 vs Utah. The shot was 89 vs Cleveland.
Swing and a miss
Cavs fans literally view the block/shot/stop as the new holy Trinity.
Blessed be the holy trinity 🙏🏼
Yes for quite some time now
Only when they mention the other two thing two. The Block. The Shot. The Stop.
It’s one of the most memorable plays from the series, it’s not that surprising.
I’m actually amazed that you *didn’t* know this.
The block, the shot, the stop. 3 Cleveland specials in one game.
I say this with all sincerity and as a huge compliment. That was the best play of Love’s career and just as big a reason they won that game as The Block.
I know if Curry got off a clean shot he would have hit it.
Thats why it has a name.
The Block, The Shot, The Stop.
I remember watching this in a bar and the guy next us screamed “He can’t shake him” in the exact tone as Biggs in the Death Star trench run
Do you guys miss dynasties or are you glad they’re gone
I’m glad they’re gone. Honestly after 2016 I was tired of the warriors and cavaliers. I felt like it ran its course and then kd joined the warriors and basically guaranteed the warriors a three peat but he got injured so it didn’t happen.
This decade we’ve had teams win their first championship in franchise history and teams that haven’t won in half a century win one.
The league finally has somewhat of the level of parity that other leagues have now
Can kings get out of the first round pls
Or at this rate I’ll take another play-in lmao
GSW vs Cavs would’ve been a fun, fair rivalry for years to come. But then KD joined and made it the most unfair OP team ever assembled. 🤷🏻♂️
Ruined a potential OKC v GSW v Rockets power struggle in the West too. Fucking KD man
KD coulda run the fade in 2017-2018 on that reloaded OKC squad (just 1 more shooter to put em over the hump) and they probably beat the Warriors in either of those years.
maybe KD wouldnt have joined if Kevin Love didnt play such good defense. its all his fault
At least when there were dynasties I could say hey there was no beating Shaq and Kobe or the Heatles
I don’t miss them, but I must say they’re some of my fondest years watching basketball. The sixers were non-competitive for most of the 2010s, so it was relatively low-stress viewing. Me and the boys would just get together and watch a lot of the postseason games + every finals game outside in the backyard, and I’ll be damned if I didn’t enjoy 4 years of Miami and then 4 years of Warriors/Cavs looking back at it.
As a matter of fact, there is a strong negative correlation between my enjoyment of watching playoff basketball and when the Sixers became relatively competitive again.
/+ I don’t get to sit outside watching the games with the boys anymore
I think when dynasties lose it is so compelling. I imagine long term the Thunder and Spurs will put up a few more titles with their cores and become the teams we root against every year.
I don’t hate dynasties but kd joining the warriors was too far
You cut off right before what was almost the greatest dunk of all time, LOL. You guys are right, my bad on the timing of the LeBron over Draymond from about 10’ out dunk attempt.
Right after this, Kyrie drove to the basket and passed it out, then a timeout was called. The dunk attempt was after the timeout.
“Passed it out” damn near turned that shit over lol I was terrified
Yeah he almost blew that play Fox style lol
After all this time I’m still bummed that he didn’t make it!
Dray’s teammates sold so hard this entire game lol
If Golden state won that game his performance gets remembered as an all time playoff performance. He carried the absolute shit out of them on both ends of the court that game. Ironically on a court with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Love; Draymond fucking green was the best offensive player lmao
Only one other player shot better than 50% that night: Tristan Thompson (3-3).
Still don’t know what the hell Kyrie was thinking after he got the ball
Probably what De’Aaron Fox was thinking.
I like to believe that every Cavs fan was screaming NO during that moment but thank god he saved the play from himself lol
Kevin Love doesn’t get enough credit for shutting down Curry in that stretch. Dude was fuckin pink at the final buzzer 😂
Am I the only one who felt like this was more piss-poor decision making by Steph than it was great defense by KLove? He clearly has KLove beat multiple times and instead of pushing past and going to the rim, he does the same 2 dribble moves over and over before chucking a 1-arm, off-balance 3. They didn’t even need a 3 here, they had plenty of time to get a 2 and get the ball back, either with a stop or by fouling Cleveland.
100%
Yeah he really had him with the behind the back dribble with 44 seconds left. LeBron was waiting in the paint but he could have had a midrange 2 easily. He was way too set on shooting a 3
Yea I agree. Worked out in Love’s favor since Steph seemed to be hunting exclusively for a 3 and wouldnt take one of the many opportunities he had for a blow by.
Still good on KLove for at least making the most damaging option hard, but probably more of a strategic blunder for Steph/the Warriors not to even consider the path of no resistance here.
Kinda both. KLove plays the defense of his life in part because he’s completely giving up the drive to take away the 3, but Steph doesn’t take the drive and plays right into Kev’s hands.
Harrison Barnes fouling after this play was so dumb
He fouled Kyrie on the way up? I’m surprised kyrie pushed the ball like that. Like wtf? Going 1v3 for a contested layup and pray you get fouled?
Nah Kyrie wildly loses the ball but recovers it and passes it to LeBron who is at half court. 18 seconds left on the clock, 11 left on the shot clock. Barnes fouls LeBron which is the Warriors foul to give, making it 18 seconds on the clock and 14 on the shot clock. At this point the Warriors have to foul and send the Cavs to line, LeBron hits one, makes it 4 point game and wins.
Steph had a sprained knee from the earlier round against Houston when he slipped on Donatas Motiejunas’ sweat on the floor. That’s when you knew Steph was playing hurt when he couldn’t beat Love 1 v 1.
My recollection is that the very next Finals as soon as he got Love in isolation in Game 1 he scored on him with ease.
I don’t believe anybody thought that Kevin had permanently become the Steph stoper because of this play lol. It’s celebrated because love had bad lateral quickness in general but made a herculean effort in the biggest moment possible when both teams were exhausted
Thats exactly what happened lol.
The Cavs had the Warriors shook…panic mode. It was strange seeing everyone lose composure, but the lights were brightest and it was for all the marbles.
The KLo stop was beautiful 🥹
Best finals ever
Kevin love does not get enough credit. For a big be that mobile and keep his feet moving and dance with stef is incredible
I always imagine Love comes to after that play like Will Ferrell in Old School…“i blacked out, what happened?”
We lp
10 years ago time sure flies
How has it been 10 years? My goodness
He did have a couple chances to blow by Love and create a play but he was at peak Curry. Also a ton of time.
Im all for letting the players decide the game but my god what an awful screen by draymond.
TheStop. TheBlock. TheShot.
I feel like that fourth quarter was the greatest quarter of basketball ever played.
LeBron almost baptized green couple seconds later. I yelled when LeBron went for that dunk 😂
The beauty of it is amazing. Kevin Love is an amazing player that had one critical flaw - guarding small guards.
The Warriors team came along and magnified this flaw 100x and every talking head was all over him
He got in the gym, dropped weight, and focused a ton on it.
Did he become a great defender? Of course not. But undoubtedly when put on an island with the best guard in the world all that focus helped
I think about this way more than the chase down block.
What I like about the stop is the alternate close up view where you can see the absolute fear in Kevin Love’s face the whole time he was in that island lol.
He did not have to go for a 3 but he thought he did
Top tier NBA white boy moment
He then flew to the Hamptons and begged the top free agent that is a better player than him to join his team. Can you imagine if a player that won MVP did that today…
Still the best basketball I’ve ever watched. I might be remembering wrong but I don’t recall reffing issues and the only controversy was dray getting suspended.
Just two giant teams going at it.
I still can’t believe Steph missed it when watching it lol
one of the execs called this ‘the D’ at the parade
One of the great all time defensive plays against one of the best players ever in one of the biggest moments ever.
Iggy gotta run over and set a screen
It’s okay I didn’t want to have a good day today anyways
I remember this like it was yesterday. After the two seasons that Curry had just had I totally expected him to make this.
…and he still almost made it. Steph is insane…
LeBron’s best teams featured a stretch big with a 4 letter last name with the second letter ‘o’
At the end of the clip wasn’t Kyrie doing what Fox did? With the only difference that he got the ball back?
He actually could’ve gone by him easily on his initial drive but it’s clear he wanted to shoot the 3 to tie the game.
Correct, captain.
2026 they probably call a landing space foul there sadly