Athletic Motion: Rarefied Air

More than dunking the ball, I think that trying to block a shot can prove to be more difficult. First, you have to make sure it's not a head fake you're going after, then you have to time your jump properly while making sure you don't touch any body parts of your opponent, then you have to decide, do I go for it and risk a foul or let him go and risk 2 points.

For the opposing side, a blocked attempt at the basket can do one of two things. First, it can demoralize you into thinking I'm gonna get blocked again and it affects your confidence. Or, on the other hand it can p*$$ you off and you either try and block the other guys shot or keep shooting the ball to prove a point.

This set of pictures was collected over the past 4 years. I'd like to start off with a very recent one. Bobby Ray Parks, heart and soul of the National University Bulldogs gets a solid block off DLSU's Oda Tampus. I doesn't get any sweeter than this.

I'm going to go back in time for this one. It's one of my first shots of the rock getting blocked. From 2009, Nonoy Baclao, who used to be a defensive stopper for Ateneo swats away a shot by Lordy Casajeros of UE.

Next up, he who is of one name, the man called Ferdinand of DLSU is milliseconds away from sending the ball back from whence it came. (Forgive the rhetoric)

Two high leapers, Alex Nuyles of The Adamson Falcons gets the better of NU Center Emmanuel Mbe. Check out the "Air Up There" entry, both of them are there.

UE's Rosopa does the same thing to Mbe. Of course this was Mbe's rookie season.

Raymond Almazan, a center who has made a big difference for Letran reaches over and blocks the shot OF DLSU's Jovet Mendoza. This photo was taken during a game in the Fil-Oil tournament held over the summer months.