In basketball, a blocked shot occurs when a defender deflects or stops a field goal attempt without committing a foul. The National Basketball Association's (NBA) block title is awarded to the player with the highest blocks per game average in a given season. The block title was first recognized in the 1973–74 NBA season when statistics on blocks were first compiled. To qualify for the blocks title, the player must appear in at least 70 percent of the season's games (58 games in typical 82-game season). However, a player who appears in fewer than the minimum games may qualify as annual blocks leader if his block total would have still given him the highest average, even had he appeared in the extra required games and recorded 0 blocks in these extra games. This has been the requirement since the 2013–14 NBA season.
Mark Eaton holds the all-time records for total blocks (456) and blocks per game (5.56) in a season; both achieved in the 1984–85 NBA season. Manute Bol holds the rookie records for total blocks and blocks per game when he had 397 and averaged 5.0 in the 1985–86 NBA season. Victor Wembanyama had the highest season block average (3.08) in the 2025–26 NBA season.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mark Eaton and Marcus Camby all won the most block titles, with four. George T. Johnson, Manute Bol, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning, Theo Ratliff, Dwight Howard, Anthony Davis, Serge Ibaka, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Victor Wembanyama have also won the title more than once. Dikembe Mutombo, Marcus Camby, and Victor Wembanyama have also won the most consecutive block titles, with three. Two players have won both the block title and the NBA championship in the same season: Bill Walton in 1977 with the Portland Trail Blazers and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1980 with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Key ^Denotes player who is still active in the NBA*Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame†Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration§1st time eligible for Hall of Fame in 2025‡Denotes player who won the Defensive Player of the Year award that yearPlayer (X)Denotes the number of times the player had been theblocks leader up to and including that seasonGGuardFForwardCCenter
Annual leaders
SeasonPlayerPosTeam(s)GamesplayedTotal blocksBlocks per game CLos Angeles Lakers813934.85 *CMilwaukee Bucks652123.26 * (2)CLos Angeles Lakers823384.12 *C/FPortland Trail Blazers652113.25C/FNew Jersey Nets812743.38 * (3)CLos Angeles Lakers803163.95 * (4)CLos Angeles Lakers822803.41 (2)C/FSan Antonio Spurs822783.39 (3)C/FSan Antonio Spurs752343.12CAtlanta Hawks803434.29CUtah Jazz823514.28 ‡ (2)CUtah Jazz824565.56CWashington Bullets803974.96 (3)CUtah Jazz793214.06 (4)CUtah Jazz823043.71 (2)CGolden State Warriors803454.31 *CHouston Rockets823764.59 * (2)CHouston Rockets562213.95 ‡ *CSan Antonio Spurs683054.49 ‡ * (3)CHouston Rockets823424.17 *CDenver Nuggets823364.10 ‡ * (2)CDenver Nuggets823213.91 * (3)CDenver Nuggets743324.49CNew Jersey NetsDallas Mavericks732483.40C/FToronto Raptors632303.65 ‡ *CMiami Heat461803.91 ‡ * (2)CMiami Heat792943.72C/FPhiladelphia 76ers501873.74 ‡ *F/CDetroit Pistons802783.48 (2)C/FAtlanta Hawks812623.23 (3)C/FAtlanta HawksPortland Trail Blazers853073.61FUtah Jazz411363.32 (2)C/FDenver Nuggets561843.29 ‡ (3)C/FDenver Nuggets702313.30 (4)C/FDenver Nuggets792853.61 ‡*COrlando Magic792312.92 ‡* (2)COrlando Magic822282.78CMilwaukee Bucks651682.58FOklahoma City Thunder662413.65 (2)FOklahoma City Thunder802423.03 ^F/CNew Orleans Pelicans671892.82 ^ (2)F/CNew Orleans Pelicans682002.94CMiami Heat732693.68 Rudy Gobert^CUtah Jazz812142.64 ^ (3)F/CNew Orleans Pelicans751932.57 ^CIndiana Pacers741992.69 (2)CPortland Trail Blazers671962.93 ^ (2)CIndiana Pacers471593.38 ^F/CMemphis Grizzlies781772.27 ‡ ^ (2)F/CMemphis Grizzlies631893.00 ^CSan Antonio Spurs712543.58 ^ (2)CSan Antonio Spurs461763.83 ‡ ^ (3)CSan Antonio Spurs641973.08
Multiple-time leaders RankPlayerTeam(s)Times leaderYears1Kareem Abdul-JabbarMilwaukee Bucks (1); Los Angeles Lakers (3)4, , , Marcus CambyToronto Raptors (1); Denver Nuggets (3), , , Mark EatonUtah Jazz, , , 4Anthony DavisNew Orleans Pelicans3, , George T. JohnsonNew Jersey Nets (1); San Antonio Spurs (2), , Dikembe MutomboDenver Nuggets, , Hakeem OlajuwonHouston Rockets, , Theo Ratliff Atlanta Hawks (2); Portland Trail Blazers (1) , , Victor WembanyamaSan Antonio Spurs, , 9Manute BolWashington Bullets (1); Golden State Warriors (1)2, Dwight HowardOrlando Magic, Serge IbakaOklahoma City Thunder, Jaren Jackson Jr.Memphis Grizzlies, Alonzo MourningMiami Heat, Myles TurnerIndiana Pacers, Hassan WhitesideMiami Heat (1); Portland Trail Blazers (1),
Notes
See also NBA records List of NBA career blocks leaders List of NBA annual scoring leaders List of NBA annual 3-point scoring leaders List of NBA annual assists leaders List of NBA annual rebounding leaders List of NBA annual steals leaders List of NBA annual field goal percentage leaders
References General
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