Larry Nance Jr. was a guest on the Hoop Collective podcast’s live show. During the episode, he was asked to reflect on the 2017-18 season he had with the Cavaliers. Nance Jr. noted that the Raptors had no chance of beating them, and the team was so confident that they celebrated when they learned of their match-up
“They had not shot. None — from the second it was Cavs-Raptors, they had no shot. And it’s not like — they were a really good team. But the whole ‘LeBronto’ thing was real. The second it was scheduled, it was like a party in our locker room, like, ‘Hoo! We gonna get a little break before the Eastern Conference Finals! This is awesome!’”
(15:15 onwards)
The Cavaliers had held the advantage over the Raptors for the previous few years at that point. The regular season record would go out the window the moment the Cavaliers were set to face the Raptors. And when LeBron James was on the team, the Cavs always had the Raptors’ number.
The 2018 series came in the second round, as the Raptors, who were the first seed in the Eastern Conference, dispatched the Wizards in 6 games. They would face the fourth-seed Cavaliers, who were coming off a seven-game series with the Indiana Pacers.
Many expected the Raptors to put up a tougher fight against the Cavaliers than in years past, especially after earning the first seed in the East. But it was the same story as always, as Toronto turned into ‘LeBronto’ once again, with the Cavs sweeping the Raptors in humiliating fashion.
The term ‘LeBronto’ came from LeBron James‘ domination of the Raptors. He would decimate the team every time they faced in the playoffs, to the point where it became an expectation of him to dominate against the team in every playoff game.
2018 Was LeBron James’ Best Year
LeBron James had arguably the best performance of his career in 2018. James was able to single-handedly drive the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals, without any All-Star teammates. The way he performed during the playoffs was something to behold, as James was individually dominating entire teams on the court.
Of course, the Cavaliers went to two Game 7s during the playoffs, but that can be understood considering the lack of firepower the franchise had aside from James. While James is known for elevating his teammates as a playmaker and orchestrator, he couldn’t turn role players into All-Stars.
However, players like Larry Nance Jr., Jordan Clarkson, Kevin Love, and even J.R. Smith delivered for the Cavaliers during the playoffs when it counted most. The Cavaliers looked set to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals until Smith’s blunder cost them the Game, and all the momentum in the world, and led to them getting swept.
Fans have mythologized how incredible LeBron James was during 2018. But even then, they might be underplaying just the level he was at that year, and we haven’t seen that same level from him since.
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