For years, LeBron James dominated the Eastern Conference. He made the Finals 8 straight years and went on to win 3 NBA Championships.
It wasn’t until LeBron headed West back in 2018 that the Eastern Conference became revitalized with hope. The Sixers, Bucks, Raptors, and Celtics were all freed from the guy who was consistently beating them for nearly a decade.
It really makes you wonder what would have happened has he stayed.
According to Mike Greenberg, the result would have been another Finals appearance for James and the Cavs, essentially wiping away the Championship from Toronto.
James was pretty much unstoppable in the East. Not only did he know his opponents, but the teams were generally much weaker over there than in the loaded Western Conference.
The Raptors, meanwhile, have always struggled against the King. Historically, they were consistently wiped out by James and his teams (Cavs or Heat) in the playoffs.
Kawhi Leonard obviously gave Toronto a much-needed edge and it made them much better as a result. But would it have been enough to best Bron? No matter your answer, we’ll never know for sure. It’ll always be guesswork.
But Kawhi will likely have his chance to beat LeBron this postseason when his Clippers face the Lakers in their inevitable Conference Finals clash.
