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LeBron James’ top 5 villainous performances against the Toronto Raptors

By William Ricks

Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James and Toronto Raptors OG Anunoby - (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James and Toronto Raptors OG Anunoby - (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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LeBron James against Toronto Raptors (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

5. 2017 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Game 2

A performance which could be seen as evil by some and disrespectful (maybe even slightly funny) to others. Traveling back two years to the 2017 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Raptors faced LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers. After being bounced in six games against James and the Cavs the year prior, the Dwane Casey led Raptors felt like the could get past the King this time around. Unfortunately, James didn’t get the memo.

LeBron dominated Game 1 and did more of the same in Game 2. He dropped 39 points on 14 shots, all while passing the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the postseason all-time scoring list. The game wasn’t close and LeBron showed how out of control the contest was when he was seen essentially practicing his free throw routine against Serge Ibaka on a three-point attempt.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/859925436536692738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E859925436536692738&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sbnation.com%2F2018%2F5%2F8%2F17326606%2Flebron-james-raptors-highlights-history-timeline

The nonchalance in LeBron’s eyes says it all. He had the look that he was superior to anyone in a Raptors uniform. The fact that he had the audacity to do this in the middle of a playoff game (blowout or not) is just downright disrespectful.

Being the casual villain he is, James downplayed that play simply stating,

"“I’m feeling pretty good. Just blessed I’m able to make a few plays tonight to help us win another game.”"

This was an early sign that the Raptors would be no match for James in this series. Many thought the Raptors had a legitimate shot at taking down LeBron that postseason. After finishing with a 51-31 record and obtaining the third seed, they had a team that had the talent and experience to dethrone James as the King of the East.

This game was a monster by LeBron, and it signified that the Raptors will have a very long series. They ended up getting swept, being no match for The King and his men. LeBron James single-handedly dismantled the Raptors in game two and showed that he is still the Boogieman that creeps in the Raptors’ closet.