LeBron James has made plenty of rivals over the course of his two-decade-plus NBA career, so it would not come as a surprise if some still hold grudges against the King. The Trail Blazers’ coach however, is not one of them, as he admitted ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the Lakers.
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Currently, Tiago Splitter is leading Portland, with former head coach Chauncey Billups sidelined amid an investigation into alleged gambling activity. Despite missing star guard Damian Lillard, Splitter has done an admirable job guiding a shorthanded roster, drawing on his experience of performing on the game’s biggest stage.
In 2013, while playing for the San Antonio Spurs, Splitter came agonizingly close to delivering an NBA championship. Unfortunately for him, James, then in his prime, was on the floor and altered NBA history with a stand-still block by simply just raising up.
The scores were tied at 88 in Game 7, and Splitter was going for a dunk when James came out of nowhere and stopped him. It rattled the Spurs, with the Heat winning 95-88. So, was at a stain on Splitter’s career? He doesn’t think so.
LeBron James INSANE block on Tiago Splitter in Game 2! (2013) pic.twitter.com/EtHt512eJm
— Silence The Critics (@STheCritics) June 11, 2025
“A lot of people think that my career ended there. That’s not true. … But just a play. Of course, a spectacular play, that he did. When you get blocked by a superstar like that, everybody’s going to see it,” he said in the interview.
“And a lot of kids that I see in the streets say, ‘You’re the guy that got blocked by LeBron, that guy.’ But for me, I smile a bit. I’m not depressed about it, far from that,” Splitter continued, before admitting that it was the fact that the Spurs lost that bothered him more.
During pregame tonight, Blazers coach Tiago Splitter reflected on the block LeBron James had on him 13 years ago, erasing a dunk attempt by Splitter in the 2013 NBA Finals. (Which we included in our gallery of memorable LeBron photos from his career last month) pic.twitter.com/rgURslkEKh
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 18, 2026
LeBron at the time wasn’t having himself the greatest offensive game. He knew he had to make an impact somehow. That came in the form of this defensive play.
“I told myself, you’ll end up on Sports Center where you’re going to get dunked on or you’re going to get a block. Luckily I was on the good side of the Top Ten,” said LBJ post-game.
The 2013 title marked James’ final championship with the Heat, and it came in thrilling fashion. Fortunately for Splitter, San Antonio bounced back the very next year, winning the championship and defeating James in the process. The franchise earned its revenge, but Splitter remains forever linked to that single, unforgettable block.
Splitter does not care too much, though. “It’s an honor to play and compete against LeBron James,” he stated.
