After finishing with the first seed in the East, the Toronto Raptors were on the fast track to the Finals before encountering LeBron James and the Cavs in 2018. Looking back on the series, which ended in a 4-0 Cleveland sweep, former Raptors guard Norman Powell says he knew that things would never be the same again.
“When LeBron hit the little buzzer beater with the right running and games us like that,” said Norm. “Me and Fred looked at each other in the locker room like ‘someone’s gonna go. We’re the number 1 seed and we got swept, that don’t happen.”
"It's like looking at Bron, Jordan or Kobe on the court."
Norman Powell on the aura of Kawhi 🖐 pic.twitter.com/7EmofsTGmB
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) October 27, 2023
LeBron and the Cavs advanced to the Finals that year, only to get swept by the nearly unbeatable Golden State Warriors. Meanwhile, in Toronto, the Raptors never recovered after their humiliating playoff elimination. Just a few weeks later, the team underwent a full roster overhaul that saw longtime fan favorite DeMar DeRozan get traded for a one-year rental of Kawhi Leonard.
“LeBronto” Left A Lasting Legacy
At the time, the Raptors were considered to be among the best teams in basketball and they were favorites to come out of the East with Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and a 59-23 record after 82 regular-season games. In the end, though, they were no match for LeBron James, who abused the team in almost every way possible. By the second game of the series, LeBron’s dominance created the “LeBronto” nickname and it’s a stretch that had a long-lasting impact on the Raptors.
By the following October, the Raptors were a completely new team with Kawhi Leonard leading the way. Of course, as we now know, Kawhi would end up leading the Raptors to a championship in 2019 before heading to Los Angeles. And while he deserves credit for that title, LeBron deserves some credit too for forcing the Raptors into making a desperation trade that altered their history for the better. To this day, that series, and LeBron’s entire 2018 playoff run, are considered among the defining moments of his career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0KDSJDX1Pk
LeBron’s 2018 Playoff Run Is The Stuff Of Legends
It wasn’t just against the Raptors that LeBron went off. In fact, he was unstoppable for the entire playoffs that year and it’s the reason why the Cavaliers were able to win the East without Kyrie Irving. Despite Irving’s departure the summer before, James neutralized his absence by being a more aggressive scorer and taking over all playmaking responsibilities.
Over 22 games, James averaged 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 9.0 assists for the Cavaliers while also being their best on-ball defender. In the end, we know it wasn’t enough to compete against the Warriors dynasty with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, but it’s hard not to think about what could have been had Kyrie never left in 2017. Regardless, LeBron’s 2019 playoff run remains one of the shining moments of his career and that’s impressive considering he didn’t even the title.
Against the Raptors specifically, James was so good in the series that it ended one of the NBA’s longest-running backcourts at the time. To sweep the first team in the East as the fourth seed really says a lot about LeBron’s ability to elevate his game in the postseason and it’s something that nobody who witnessed it will ever forget.
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