CLEVELAND (AP) – LeBron James dazzled with soaring dunks, outside shots and even a beer chaser in Game 1.
And he did it all – 35 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and an amusing sideline exchange with the “beer lady”- at the expense of the Raptors, who may have been guilty of admiring the latest royal performance by Cleveland’s hoops king.
Toronto coach Dwane Casey has seen this happen before – with Michael Jordan.
A day after the Raptors fell into a familiar postseason hole with a 116-105 loss in the opener of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Casey was asked Tuesday if his players might be awed by James, the Jordan of this generation on a mission to make his seventh straight NBA Finals.
As an assistant coach with Seattle, Casey recalled urging his players not to bow to His Airness.