MIES (Switzerland) - We've reached the 10-day mark in the countdown for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. To commemorate the occasion, we highlight the top 10 shot blockers in competition history.

10. Daniel SANTIAGO

CENTER

Birth date: 24/06/1976

Blocks: 19
Games played: 30
Participations: 5 (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014)

Santiago was at his best as a rim protector at the 2002 World Cup in Indianapolis, the Puerto Rico reached the Quarter-Finals. Of his 19 blocks, 10 were at this event, and three were against the USA in the Boricuas' penultimate game.

That was a memorable occasion for the Texas-born Santiago, nicknamed Gigante (Giant). He also had 16 points and 18 rebounds against the Americans. 

10. Anthony DAVIS

CENTER

Birth date: 11/03/1993

Blocks: 19
Games played: 9
Participations: 1 (2014)
Medals:🥇(2014)

Davis needed to play in just one World Cup, 2014, to claim a spot in the top 10. An amazing player on one of the best USA teams of all time, won that marched to the title by blowing out all of its opponents, Davis swatted five shots in a 106-71 romp over the Dominican Republic and four in a 86-63 Round of 16 triumph over Mexico.

9. Omer ASIK

CENTER

Birth date: 04/07/1986

Blocks: 22
Games played: 16
Participations: 2 (2010, 2014)
Medals:🥈(2010)

A player that looks as tall as Istanbul's Galata Tower, Asik's imposing presence made opponents think twice before trying to take the ball to the basket. After emerging as a force at EuroBasket 2009 in Poland, Asik starred on the Turkey team that hosted the 2010 World Cup and reached the Final.

He had 11 blocks, including two in Turkey's famous 83-82 Semi-Final win over Serbia. In 2014, Asik swatted 11 more shots as Turkey make it to the Quarter-Finals. His high in that edition was three against the USA.

8. Dirk NOWITZKI

CENTER

Birth date: 19/06/1978

Blocks: 23
Games played: 18
Participations: 2 (2002, 2006)
Medals:🥉(2002)

The greatest Germany player of all time, Nowitzki was such an accomplished player on offense that some might not have recognized his excellence on defense, yet he was formidable. When he was MVP of the 2002 World Cup in Indianapolis, Nowitzki rejected 18 shots!

Only Pau Gasol (20) of Spain and Anderson Varejao (19) of Brazil had more. In Germany's sixth game, 103-85 win over Russia, Nowitzki swatted four shots. He had three blocks in both a 86-80 defeat to Argentina in the Semi-Finals, and a 117-94 Third-Place Game triumph over New Zealand.

7. Rudy GOBERT

CENTER

Birth date: 26/06/1992

Blocks: 23
Games played: 17
Participations: 2 (2014, 2019)
Medals:🥉(2014, 1019)

The Stifle Tower is France's biggest weapon on defense, a 2.16m (7ft 1in) warning to all drivers that the ball needs to reach its summit over the outstretched arms of Gobert or it could it up in Row H! Gobert's most famous World Cup block was in 2014 against hosts Spain in Madrid.

His rejection of Pau Gasol went viral, and signaled that France had one of the premier rim protectors. At the 2019 World Cup in China, Gobert's 15 blocks were second only to the 16 of Tunisia's Salah Mejri. He probably would have had more had he not rejected five against Germany on opening night, which was effectively a warning to the rest of France opponents.

6. Hamed HADDADI

CENTER

Birth date: 19/05/1985

Blocks: 25
Games played: 15
Participations: 3 (2010, 2014, 2019)

The Beast from the East, as he was known during his NBA days, Iran's Hamed has a soft shooting touch and rebounds with the best of them. He's also a rim protector. After leading Iran to a second FIBA Asia Cup title in 2009, Haddadi arrived in Istanbul for his World Cup debut in 2010 and blocked five shots in his very first game, against Brazil.

Two games later and he swatted four against Tunisia. He finished with 13. Hamed had six at his next two World Cups in 2014 and 2019, respectively, yet altered plenty of other shots.

5. Anderson VAREJAO

CENTER

Birth date: 28/09/1982

Blocks: 26
Games played: 29
Participations: 5 (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2019)

Anderson is one of Brazil's legends, an energetic pivot whose work rate on the offensive and defensive boards made him the country's all-time leading rebounder. He was also a premier shot blocker at the start of his international career.

Anderson's 19 blocks in his first World Cup in 2002, in Indianapolis, were second only to Pau Gasol's 20. In the four World Cups that followed, he had a total of seven.

4. Salah MEJRI

CENTER

Birth date: 215/06/1986

Blocks: 27
Games played: 10
Participations: 2 (2010, 2019)

If Tunisia's Mejri made a big splash at his first World Cup in Istanbul in 2010 with 11 in five games, including five against Brazil in his second outing, it was 2019 where he distinguished himself as the premier shot blocker in international basketball. Mejri had a tournament high 16 rejections in five games.

His eye-popping rate of 4.2 blocks per 40 minutes made him a true sultan of swat. Mejri signed off from the 2019 World Cup with eight blocks against Angola.

3. Ming YAO

CENTER

Birth date: 12/09/1980

Blocks: 32
Games played: 14
Participations: 2 (2002, 2006)

It wasn't just the 21.0 points and 9.2 rebounds that distinguished Yao as the most tantalizing center ever from Asia at the 2002 World Cup. It was his rim protection! Yao blocked 18 shots at his first World Cup, which included eight in his second game against Algeria.

His average of 2.2 blocks per game, which Pau Gasol also had, was the best average in Indianapolis.  The 2.26m (7ft 5in) Yao added 14 more blocks at the 2006 World Cup, the third most in the tournament.

2. Marc GASOL

CENTER

Birth date: 29/01/1985

Blocks: 43
Games played: 32
Participations: 4 (2006, 2010, 2014, 2019)
Medals:🥇(2006, 1019)

The Spain great is the No. 6 all-time rebounder in World Cup history, and No. 28 in scoring and No. 23 assists. When it comes to blocks, he's No. 2!

Gasol, in select company as a two-time winner of the World Cup, was a late addition to the 2006 team that reached the top of the podium and had three after averaging 12.5 minutes per game. In 2010, he blocked a tournament high 21.

1. Pau GASOL

CENTER

Birth date: 06/07/1980

Blocks: 55
Games played: 24
Participations: 3 (2002, 2006, 2014)
Medals:🥇(2006)

Spain's Gasol, in his first World Cup in 2002 in Indianapolis, led the tournament in blocks with 20. Gasol had four swats in his second game against eventual champions Yugoslavia. He was not a one-tournament wonder, because at the 2006 World Cup when he was the MVP, Gasol had 19 blocks - also the most in the competition.

He continued to be an elite shot blocker at his third and last World Cup in 2014 with 16, the second highest total behind USA's Anthony Davis, who had 19.

If you liked this editorial piece, please make sure to check the FIBA Basketball World Cup Top 100 scorers here, theTop 50 rebounders here. the Top 20 passers here and the Top 10 steals leaders here.

FIBA