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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

LeBron James has a rich history with the Toronto Raptors. While still donning the Cleveland Cavaliers colors, ‘The King’ was arguably their kryptonite. Notably, the 2019 NBA champions failed to get past James in the playoffs year after year. The 18-time All-Star’s dominance went so far that fans and pundits dubbed the city as ‘LeBronto’. However, a lot has changed over the years with James’ move to the Los Angeles Lakers. Notably, last season was a ride from hell for the 37-year-old who put up one of his best offensive seasons. With his teammates not doing due diligence, the ‘Akron Hammer’ got furious, and a Raptors rookie felt the end of it.

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The Lakers were in an awfully similar spot last season. The franchise was battling all year long to secure a spot in the play-in tournament. Before facing off against the Canadian side, they were nine games under the .500 metric. Each win would be precious. Likewise, LeBron James came ready to put on a show once again against his favorite rivals. But it seems his teammates didn’t have the same determination to be victorious.

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USA Today via Reuters

Furious with their subpar efforts, he dropped ‘f-bombs’ on his teammates during one possession. Moreover, later in the game, his blood boiled enough to spike the ball into rookie?Scottie Barnes in an attempt to keep possession.

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LeBron James was furious with his Lakers’ side

Despite dealing with lingering knee soreness, LeBron James took the court for the Showtime Lakers. In the absence of Anthony Davis, the four-time MVP was left to fend off the hot Toronto Raptors all alone. Moreover, Russell Westbrook was in midst of one of his worst regular seasons. With all the shortcomings, it wasn’t a surprise when Toronto rocketed its way to a dominating first half. However, James didn’t seem concerned with the score. In fact, it was the efforts of the fellow purple and gold jerseys that angered James to slam the ball repeatedly on the floor.

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He was unhappy with his players’ lousy body language and served them ‘f-bombs’ to wake up. Later in the game, as the matchup slipped away, the 18-time All-NBA selection star took it out on Barnes while fighting for the rebound. The 37-year-old cocked the ball over his head and slammed it toward the 20-year-old’s face who was already on the floor. After the game, the Rookie of The Year even expressed his surprise over the incident.

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The night ended in a Raptors 114-103 win over the 2020 NBA champion. The knee soreness only restricted LeBron James to score 30 points in 40 minutes. It marked the Lakers’ 39th loss of the 2021-22 season. James would continue to play at an All-NBA level averaging 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in the dissatisfactory campaign.

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Now, half a year later, the Los Angeles Lakers have their chance to exact revenge on the Raptors, after coming off a tough loss to the Cavaliers last night. Moreover, Anthony Davis is listed as day-to-day after experiencing flu-like symptoms.

With a much more hungry roster this time around, do you think LeBron James will make Toronto his city once again? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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Anuj Talwalkar

4,539 Articles

Anuj Talwalkar is a senior NBA Newsbreak specialist at EssentiallySports, trusted for his real-time coverage and fast, accurate updates on league developments. With five NBA seasons and two Olympics coverages under his belt, Anuj stands out as the go-to reporter for the NBA Matchday Newsdesk. As part of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, he continuously refines his hard reporting with grounded storytelling shaped by fan culture and court-level insights. An economics graduate and lifelong OKC fan since the Supersonics era, Anuj combines analytical thinking and a genuine passion for basketball. He’s recognized for both his live news coverage and feature writing, with aspirations to someday interview Russell Westbrook. Anuj’s reporting is marked by its reliability, depth, and strong connection to the pulse of the NBA.

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Veer Badani

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