The Raptors’ chance at redemption against LeBron James deserves a deep rewind

The mid-2010 Toronto Raptors had nightmares about LeBron James. From 2016-2018, Toronto matched up with Bron and the Cavs in three straight postseasons. In 2016, the Raptors advanced to their first-ever conference finals in franchise history. Unfortunately, the organization's crowning achievement ended in six games, before LeBron & Co. went on to win Cleveland’s first-ever NBA title. Although Toronto lost the series in six, they had plenty of positives to take away. Experts viewed the Raptors as a team ahead of schedule, thankful to find themselves deep in the postseason.
The following year, the Raptors established they weren’t just some team happy to be in the mix, but a legit threat in the East. They reached the Conference Semifinals for a rematch against the Cavs… but LeBron led the way smacking them in four games. For Toronto, this 2018 season appeared to be different. Besides their dynamic backcourt duo of DeMar DeRozan & Kyle Lowry continuing to drop buckets, the team leaned heavily on their adaptable young bench, which allowed head coach Dwane Casey the peace to never stress who was on the floor. With Lowry and DeRozan holding it down, the youngins making noise, and consistent veteran support, the Raptors had arguably the most complete roster in the NBA and went on to win a franchise-record 59 games, earning the top seed in the conference.
Strapped with homecourt advantage throughout the postseason, these new and dangerous Raptors were prepared to make a deep run… until they once again ran into their playoff nemesis in the second round. After dropping the first two games to the Cavs, Toronto found themselves locked into a nailbiting Game Three with a chance to snatch a pivotal win on the road. Can they finally take one step closer to overcoming LeBron? To find out, we gotta rewind.
Written and produced by: Joe Ali
Directed and edited by: Charlotte Atkinson
Subscribe: goo.gl/Nbabae Enter the Secret Base: www.sbnation.com/secret-base
Follow us on Twitter: / secretbase
Follow us on Twitch: / secretbasesbn
Follow us on Tiktok: / secretbasesbn
Check out our full video catalog: goo.gl/9pMHRV
Visit our playlists: goo.gl/NvpZFF
Explore SB Nation: www.sbnation.com

[@IgnitablePilot]

2018 LeBron was on another level. He willed that team to the finals almost by himself like it was 2007

[@angelusgnz5784]

Basically was by himself

[@thedude3065]

seeing as how they got swept in the final by an actual team it was exactly like 2007

[@17Blasian]

@@thedude3065 He shoulda had game 1. So heartbreaking!!

[@thedude3065]

@@17Blasian it's almost like basketball is a team sport

[@justinherrera1700]

not sure which team was worse 07 or 2018😂

[@JDW1110]

As a Raptors fan, I remember going crazy when Anunoby made the 3 only for my hopes to be crushed 4 seconds later

[@nunyabiz6532]

Do y'all hold on to OG and Siakam? Or would you rebuild? Not keeping up with the Raptors but I feel like they could be a lot better than they are right now

[@mrhumble2937]

That's what they get for that lucky ass double doink against my sixers.

[@awesomedude906]

@@mrhumble2937 at least the raps won a title, try to get past the 2nd round this year ok?

[@kanyeeast1340]

Atleast you guys seem to have our number this year. I took my 6yr old to his first Cavs game this year. You guys nearly beat us by 40 😂😂

[@mrhumble2937]

​@@awesomedude906 rude. That was sixers title. Raptors got lucky

[@kidnarl]

This was the first time me and my dad watched playoff basketball together, I’ll never forget this series.

[@m3d3rz]

Damnn how old are you?

[@ItsTj4show]

Welcome to club! 👍🏿

[@CrazyxEnigma]

Not a bad series to start with!( Unless your a Raps fan) Earliest playoff basketball I can recall watching with my dad would be Lakers- Blazers in 00.

[@kidnarl]

@@m3d3rz I’m in my 20s lol, I didn’t really start watching basketball until that year, I was more of a baseball and football kid growing up.

[@asecretone]

I watched this with my dad too. He lost betting the under and he beat me without mercy.

[@husseinabdelraouf8578]

Damn the Lebron-Raptors era was crazy

[@Freddedonna]

Here I was having a nice saturday morning and now I gotta be reminded of LeBronto 😩

[@demitricrawford6141]

Good morning to you this is an awesome day so far isn't it 😂😂😂

[@markelscott100]

Damn bad timing too after the loss to a bron less laker sqaud

[@ashutoshkulkarni9280]

@@markelscott100 Applying salt to wounds XD.

[@cdw2468]

i feel the opposite, was feeling down until i got to remember LeBronto

[@markelscott100]

@@ashutoshkulkarni9280 my bad

[@iijjjmmmm]

The moment that made us sacrifice Demar for a ring 😭

[@markelscott100]

Lmao

[@4thquarter5]

Worth it?

[@qguam6142]

@@4thquarter5 way worth it

[@4thquarter5]

@@qguam6142 my team refuses to sacrifice Tyler Herro for a ring so I had to ask. Cool . Not that he's at his level in taleny

[@chuckplaysgames7925]

@@4thquarter5 the circumstances are way different . The east was easily winnable with kawhi when lebron left. The Celtics and bucks are a lot better , the cavs are super impressive again now. Trading herro when the league is so competitive could crush your team

[@botssuck123]

Being in Jurassic Park for this game, it's weird to remember there was a timeout after the OG 3. It felt like he hit it, everyone went nuts, and LeBron immediately went the other way and crushed our dreams. It went from a full-on party to a half-empty courtyard of sadness in a blink...

[@jameswaters3824]

There wasn't a time out

[@UnBR0k3enAngel]

@@jameswaters3824 there was lol.

[@JTS812]

This game was in Cleveland not Toronto

[@UnBR0k3enAngel]

@@JTS812 they have watch parties still...

[@redteddy135]

@@JTS812 jurassic park is like a big square with big tv in toronto where lots of people go to watch the raps games

[@ilikeflour]

LeBronto will forever exist within our hearts.

[@bighuncho5210]

That word lives rent free in my head ever since I watched that turn around middy

[@keeshandave8603]

No it doesn't. LeBronto is a shitty name if you ask me

[@chrisuncleahmad]

The hearts of casual fans who thought LeBron and GSW were literally the entire league

[@CL-vx9dr]

This game literally brought me to tears and I was an adult lol

[@ratedpending]

are you still an adult?

[@navonmyhand7999]

@@ratedpending I would hope so.

[@dusk6159]

Lebronto was brutal for the Raptors bench too

[@mintyking1]

Damn near brought Lowry to tears too.

[@donchen6856]

good god, who the f cry in the game like this?

[@Los150]

Lowry’s face after the buzzer really tells the whole story of LeBronto.

[@optimusprime028]

That last game defined DeMar's career and ended his Raptor career.

[@pokecool2257]

To this point, yes. I hope he joins a team soon where he can be a 1B or a #2 option so his legacy can be more than "The guy they traded Khawai for."

[@yonigle8553]

Defrozen

[@tg9221]

Hater

[@David-iv6je]

Well, it was a sweep. It's a melodramatic video but its not like the Raps won even one game.

[@BrothaMan98]

There are alot more things that have defined his career than just 1 game

[@marcomcdowell8861]

Prime LeBron was awesome in Miami with Wade and Bosh, but his second stint in Cleveland was on some next level stuff. He didn't stack rings there thanks to that KD/Golden State juggernaut, but he might've hit his peak for his last two seasons with the Cavs. I am happy that Toronto eventually got a championship. Always good to see franchises that struggle to get over the hump, win one.

[@Qub3rs]

As a Torontonian and Raptor fan... this one cuts deep... very deep... 😶

[@collin.grant1]

Hey at least you guys won back to back World Series in the early 90’s lol we haven’t won one since the 40’s

[@alwaystrippinyyz1902]

painful

[@partyv4n908]

as an indiana sports fan: pain.

[@pokecool2257]

Just revel in 2019 buddy. I, a Cavs fan, rooted for you guys the whole way that year (Come playoffs time that is lol).

[@216cle]

Without this happening, you don't go all in for kawhi. If you guys take down the Cavs you aren't beating golden state if you even make it to the finals that year, and you aren't gonna blow it up after Lowry and DeMar just beat the Cavs. Then obviously you never win 2019... It's all worth it in the end brother -cavs fan

[@itzjoboy5782]

I did not need to see this today

[@tim.noonan]

No one made you watch it but you

[@thomasburns6289]

Literally the day Raps fans are down the worst and they post this lol 😂

[@itzjoboy5782]

@@tim.noonan But I didn't even watch it yet LMFAO

[@catchcan221]

Yall won a championship the next year

[@chrisbeach423]

We need a video of those battles the Grizzlies and Thunder had in the early 2010’s they met 3 or 4 times and each series was entertaining.

[@sendAJtospace]

Funny enough, the thing I go back to the most in this series is the mid-range barrage from LeBron in Game 2. Sight to behold.

[@tupacalypse88]

"He's hotter than fish grease." YESS the look of utter despair on Lowry and Valanciunas face said it all

[@bookimatt]

It’s wild because LeBron was bullying the Raps effortlessly. It’s not often that you see an entire team get sonned, much less so deep in the playoffs.

[@dusk6159]

From Lebronto, Brontario, Cavnada.

[@tupacalypse88]

@@bookimatt spinning the ball in front of 2x blk leader 3x all d serge Obama and drilling the 3 in his face was more baller than AI stepping over ty lue

[@rayallensjumper]

I remember in game 2 when Dwayne Casey put CJ Miles on Lebron to guard him in the post. Probably the most dumbfounded I’ve ever been regarding like a player matchup in any sport

[@geordiejones5618]

Those shots that Lebron made that game were nuts. "He's hotter than fish grease!"

[@thegagz]

is that the game where Masai had to talk to Dwane Casey in the locker room about his stupid coaching decisions

[@spicy_xinger]

then he put him on kevin love, as if that was any better of a matchup lmao

[@jackgraves11]

I'll forever remember this playoff series and the 2018 playoffs in general. It really can't be expressed without watching all the games how truly dominant LeBron was. That Cavs team would have been one of the worst teams in the entire league without LeBron

[@princssnasty]

yet the haters say he’s had nothing but stacked teams and the most help of all time 🤣 clowns

[@CrazyxEnigma]

This series demonstrates both how good LeBron was and how bad the East was at the time. Top 3 teams in the East this year smoke the teams in 18.

[@coreythomas3633]

​@@princssnasty EXACTLY

[@coreythomas3633]

​@@CrazyxEnigma huh east had good teams LEBRON IS THAT GOOD IDIOT.

[@Icecreamer276]

On behalf of the people of Toronto, thank you for yet another 'Toronto sports team collapses' episode of Rewind. Always nice to hear the correct pronunciation of the city's name while you narrate our recurring nightmares.

[@claycolin323]

As a lifetime Raptors fan I’m not sure why I choose to relive this

[@adandemobilegamer]

Lol same here 😅 🤣

[@JoshStern23]

They don’t call it LeBronto for nothing

[@Toddos]

2010’s NBA was immaculate in every way storyline wise

[@chrisuncleahmad]

Only if you were a LeBron or Warriors fan

[@koopabound6481]

Outside KD joining the Warriors

[@solobusiness4320]

This was the playoff run that made me realize he was the goat never seen anyone play as good as bron did in 2018

[@marshalstewart7776]

One of the best basketball games I’ve been to. The land was electric at the buzzer

[@XxNardelli28]

As a huge NBA/Raptor fan & Canadian who lives in Toronto, I’ll never forget the run of dominance Lebron had over us in the 2010s…especially on that second run with the Cavs 🔥🏀🇨🇦

[@depressedraptorsfan4907]

That last face from Lowry summed up all our reactions to that BS shot 😂

[@cannafarmer]

The look on Lowrys face at the end was priceless

[@bruceking7416]

This made the Raptors' next [championship winning] season all the sweeter 😇🏆

[@Eatm3]

One of the best pages on KZbin you guys do incredible work

[@collin.grant1]

As a cleveland fan I’ve been on the Toronto side way too many times. I feel your pain but I’m basking the screaming and jumping in excitement

[@cdw2468]

we always get LeBrontoed by the rest of the league, we need to have this one

[@collin.grant1]

@@cdw2468 hey if our 3 young dudes, garland, Mobley and Allen really take that next step look out for Cleveland

[@InitialXG]

Correction at 1:40. They weren’t the first pair of all star team mates for the franchise. Vince carter and Antonio Davis both started the 2001 all star game.

[@Lord_Horker]

I loved those raps teams. Biyombo will always be one of my favorite players for that 2016 playoff run he had it was so much fun to watch

[@austintowns2629]

This was an amazing video. You've earned a new subscriber with this one. Keep up the work.

[@keithrg]

11:51 Mark Jones is FROM TORONTO and I’m just now learning he’s the one who popularized that horrifying term

[@mikeythe3rd]

Paul Jones' brother.... I had no idea either that this Canadian came up with that term.... SMH.. lol

[@kadebonath2778]

I watched this the day before my birthday in one of the last few days in my dorm freshman year. I remember running up and down the singular hall in excitement as I watched this incredible shot

[@thetravhop]

This almost hurt more now than when it happened live at the time.

[@blackice3395]

Love these videos!

[@lmSnarkk]

2018 bron was the basketball that I most enjoyed watching, particularly this series! Thanks for remembering

[@canadadry4609]

People dont remember it was lowry leading the way with demar benched. He stood up to lebron too. Demar was afraid of him. A big reason why masai chose to keep kyle that summer.

[@thatonecanadianguy6523]

And why Kyle is the man dubbed the Raptors "Goat"

[@nericdominguez6723]

Idk about AFRAID, but the man just knows when he can't guard someone it's never been his thing + when LeBron is built like a brick-shithouse...lol

[@thegagz]

Kyle was never the issue. Masai knew this

[@sharifs649]

​@@thegagz to be fair DeRozan admitted to having play off anxiety he just couldn't handle that level of pressure I think he could have been a 3rd.or a 4th option on a championship team

[@ilikeflour]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how much SB write in the description?

[@maliqparker7078]

Remember watching this series ending of spring semester of my sophomore year in college in the dorms. We all thought lebron was at the end of his career but after what he did to the pacers, Celtics and raptors….

[@colebanville3372]

I remember this so vividly because it devastated me on my birthday

[@AMEN4MVP99]

New Rewinder, my day is made!!!

[@nalulumbay]

Not a Raptors fan, but man, that was tough. I feel bad for Toronto.

[@SimplyAstonished]

one of the best, clutches coolest shots ever made.

[@JLeMay25]

The stretch from midway through the 3rd to midway through the 4th of that game 2 in 2018 was unreal

[@doublem4107]

Blessed to be a cavs fan. 2018 bron was my favorite. He was on a whole different level offensively with essentially no consistent offensive help. Unreal season.

[@LuBRe06]

SB, pls make more soccer/football vids. Love the content and I'd love to see these type vids on Football games.

[@AirRusher1992]

Ah yes LeBronto where LeBron James have the number of the Toronto Raptors for a few years eliminating them 3 straight years before truly redeemed themselves with a title in the following year.

[@MightyDuckofAnaheim200203]

That was awesome I'll never forget that moment game 3 2018 NBA playoffs LBJ buzzer beater

[@JB-Wolf]

Fun fact: I was working in the Team Shop during this game. This was a crazy night. I love my job. #GoCavs #LetEmKnow

[@j2jwhatsapp]

I was in my last semester in college, nba games would take place during my first lecture where I stay. I can never forget having followed cavs closely in the regular season, I had no hopes in the playoffs. And then I'm checking my phone especially during the Toronto series, mentally preparing myself to see cavs lose, and this guy just lit up the ec all my himself, i don't really care about who the goat is, but if you're a true basketball fan, you have to go back and watch this crazy cavs run, those kinda performances is why we watch and love the sport

[@AirRusher1992]

Still waiting in the wings for separate Collapse videos about the 1996 Seattle SuperSonics, the Bad Boy Pistons, the 2018 Houston Rockets and the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers.

[@cdw2468]

the pistons and cavs don’t feel like collapses given that they came back relatively quickly

[@AirRusher1992]

@@cdw2468 Well Secret Base made a Collapse video about the Lakers but then mentioned briefly in the end about them recovering quickly so at least those should end in that similar fashion.

[@seneveshemisi6820]

The one handed floater is crazy

[@aayu101]

The "welcome to a moment in history" sits right next to Mike Breen's "bang" for me. What a soundbite to end the video on

[@nonza15555]

This is what I called quality video

[@skipbrainless2732]

A decade from now this s*it will be legendary. What this man did to the Eastern Conference for that long a period is ridiculous.

[@nikosvault]

In the future they will still remember that the east sucked.

[@jorgevictoraguilar2735]

Im surprised you didnt mention the beef between casey and derozan since he wasnt on the court for the last few minutes, considering both were gone the next year. Great video tho!

[@drakorez]

I started watching the NBA during the 2018 playoffs and was basically just following Lebron. This was one of the first games I watched. Needless to say, I am now an NBA fan.

[@evancharles9441]

lol I love that the music at the 9 min mark sounds oh so similar to some mass effect soundtracks

[@nellieugdangv9151]

They didn’t even mention how Lebron would call out toronto’s plays mid-game.

[@1933MB]

History led to a 2019 NBA championship

[@ianzellick4980]

So much pain in how this season ended but a necessary pain that led to Kawhi and the chip

[@bertog8080]

Still crazy they win next season

[@TheAlfrulz]

"This again, didn't we do this last year?" -King James, Game of Zones

[@paperhag]

From LeBronto to World Champions the next year. What a wild two years to be a Raptors fan. From the lowest low to the highest high.

[@jboogie2212]

That broke hearts

[@chrisuncleahmad]

There are some lost nuances about the 2018 Raptors: They beat the 65-win Rockets TWICE Their two losses to Golden State were by a combined 7 points If Indiana beats Cleveland (which they absolutely should have if not for a couple of lucky shots), the Raptors would have faced an Indiana team that literally never won in Toronto from 2016-2021 losing 11 straight times. And they held their own vs Boston (assuming they still beat the Sixers) who also struggled to win in Toronto back then.

[@GamersCorner2134]

Pain.

[@andrewliu111]

I remember clearly that coach Casey after the game said he told his players to double Lebron, get the ball out his hand and have someone to take the shot. But apparently pascal Siakam didn’t listen. He ran away from double team. Nevertheless, that’s a great shot.

[@AndyZach]

It was good one-on-one defense by O.G. But it was a better shot. Lebron's shot that banked floater for years, if you go through his highlights.

[@kinglyone7172]

Being from Cleveland, you couldn't possibly imagine how great it was to be on the other end of rivalry like this and how much it was to be hated on by another franchise. At this time, I believe it was Toronto and the Hawks.

[@CrazyxEnigma]

Cartoon dribbler?!?! Those late 90s Raptors Jerseys were absolute fire! 90s had the best Jerseys of any NBA era too.

[@jordandr.j4789]

Bron in the 2018 Playoffs was a different beast… never forget LeBronto

[@AbdulStarter04]

vince carter and antonio davis were also teammates that made the all star team as raptors

[@TheProtagonistdiaries]

It’s literally pure pain just watching this

[@jayivey7702]

Do the Jrue steal to Giannis dunk of the 2021 Finals

[@kaustubhtandon8131]

His playoff run in 2018 was for the ages. Never before has a player literally dragged his team to the finals. Never had, never will. Kingly stuff.

[@isaacreynolds8339]

The only time I have ever cried from sports is when immediately after this game when i checked my phone and the first thing I saw was Drake's face with the caption "Turn an 0-2 to an 0-3"

[@alexinator1288]

Hey Raptors fan here. Wish he was still in Cleveland in 2019 so that we could finally redeem ourselves. If it was any year it would've been that year. It's nothing but pain now.

[@joshanderson4847]

This still hurts

[@aaaworld8995]

Good timing after the big win go Lakers and sixers yessssssss

[@HashimWarren]

I remember that shot and that series.. I was stunned, and I was a Lebron fan

[@easybcheesy2121]

Yall gotta make one for the damian lillard shot

[@emiliomanuelcebu403]

For me, 2018 Bron was insane, both in the regular season and playoffs.

[@Jarekthegamingdragon]

I'd love one of these for dame's okc shot

[@theflyingsamuraii]

Pain

[@chrisuncleahmad]

The 2018 Cleveland Cavaliers : sometimes there is an I in team

[@9berna]

The shot that forever changed DeMar DeRozans career

[@kwleung1943]

LBJ was dominating in that series. Absolutely incredible, especially in game 2.

[@AxeMan808]

"But when he leave, they be playin' again!"

[@draco484]

mann i was @ this game.. the Q was electric!

[@andrewvalenski921]

*Antagonist in Toronto’s occurring nightmare. If he was the protagonist in *their* nightmare, they’d somehow be dreaming in either second-person perspective or vicariously as LeBron. Great video! Sorry for the pedantics - cheers!

[@StewartShubert]

Can’t wait for the 2022 World Cup final episode

[@hhtptai]

I don't even watch NBA like that and I was invested.

[@gambashaga]

Raptors championship journey deserves an episode.

[@williamthomas5215]

I remember 2018 Lebron. It was like god simply said “he is going to the finals and you can’t stop him”. He absolutely powered that team to the finals and nearly stole game 1 of the finals against the juggernaut warriors. He would’ve if it wasn’t for his poor teammates

[@HipsterShiningArmor]

Maybe it’s just me but I feel like this series has gotten a little too stuck in moments that have happened over the past few years when there’s a lot of huge sports moments that happened in the past (i.e. Mazeroski’s walk-off World Series winning HR or Bart Starr’s Ice Bowl QB sneak) that would be a lot more interesting to do a rewinder on as due to the passage of time they’ve been far more thoroughly eclipsed by the singular moment, rather then something that happened 5 years ago where we can still kinda remember all the context surrounding it.

[@mkay6093]

AYYYY a video with out that snotty lady as the voice over.HELL YEAH!

[@bmdragon]

I'd love a deep rewind on the Duke - UNC double buzzer beater game

[@granthatcher]

I remember when Toronto tied it 2-2 in 2016. Everyone was stoked, playing with house money. Then 2017 we get swept, but we were supposed to lose anyway. Then 2018 we were the 1 seed. This was our year. Cavs looked shaky. I’ll never forget the feeling of game 1. Me and my friend were at a bar. Raps were dominating, up 20. This was finally our year! But then it slowly started to slip. Cavs started making a run, Raps lose all chemistry. Even still, we had a chance to win in regulation. Demar had like 2 or 3 GOOD looks. Point blank. Then JV also had an awesome look. I knew then we were done. No way we would win in OT. We just lost all momentum. No way we would win the series, Lebron. Was in their head. If they just coulda finished that game, things coulda been a lot different. But then we got Kawhi and won a chip, the end lol