Fansided

The city of Toronto is being officially renamed after LeBron

By David Rouben

TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 3: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball against the Toronto Raptors in Game Two of Round Two of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 3, 2018 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 3: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball against the Toronto Raptors in Game Two of Round Two of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 3, 2018 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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With LeBron James owning the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs for the third straight year, ESPN will look into filing a trademark on “LeBronto.”

It seemed like the perfect storm for the Toronto Raptors. They won the No. 1 seed and looked like the best team in the East all year. The Cleveland Cavaliers needed LeBron James to account for over half of their offense and average 42 minutes a game to get past the Indiana Pacers in the first round. If there was any year for the Raptors to finally beat James, it was now.

But after the dust settled on Game 1, in which the Cavaliers won despite never leading during regulation, order has been restored in the East. James even admitted that his Game 1 performance was one of his worst of the season, and it wasn’t hard to see why. Despite posting a triple-double, he shot 12-of-30, was hounded by OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam and put up 26 points, a modest total by his standards.

In Game 2, LeBron was back to his dominant self. He hit the 40-point threshold for the fourth time in these playoffs, made tough shots look routine and got the better of every single defender the Raptors threw at him.

Hubie Brown was so impressed by his performance, he renamed the city of Toronto after LeBron James:

It was absolute savagery on Brown, in part because Drake was once again sitting courtside. Toronto’s global ambassador got himself in hot water when he confronted Kendrick Perkins in Game 1 only to make a mockery of himself. By the time this series is over, there might be an opening in his role.

While LeBron’s ownership of the Raptors for the past three years is impressive, it isn’t without precedent. Gerald Henderson, Vince Carter and Paul Pierce can all lay claim to having part ownership of Toronto because of how well they’ve fared in the city. But it all takes a backseat to James’ dominance, who is making 40-point games go out of style.

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Perhaps the Raptors should’ve learned from last year’s Celtics, who felt they could take down the King by virtue of having home court advantage against him. But he brushed them aside in five games, which is why this meme — created during that series — feels relevant once again today:

https://twitter.com/cavsanada/status/865019681614286848?lang=en

Anyone who felt that the Raptors could take down the Cavs this year has been served a dose of reality in these first two games. And ESPN’s moniker of “LeBronto” should serve as a perpetual reminder that they won’t get out of the Eastern Conference so long as he occupies it.

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