The Los Angeles Lakers were defeated by the defending champion Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.
While many fans and experts agree that Kawhi Leonard was the primary reason why the Raptors won the 2019 NBA Finals, LeBron James took some time following Saturday’s game to express his belief that Leonard was not the sole reason behind Toronto winning a title last year.
Lakers’ LeBron James on the Raptors: “That’s a great team. They won the championship for a reason. It wasn’t all solely because of Kawhi [Leonard].” pic.twitter.com/HCrB7QkrXu
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) August 2, 2020
Earlier this week, James and the Lakers defeated Leonard’s new team, the Los Angeles Clippers. That game was a hard-fought battle from the very beginning.
That’s exactly what fans expected, as the two teams are widely considered to be two of the best teams in the NBA this season. In the Lakers’ 103-101 victory over the Clippers, James recorded 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. He also made key plays on both ends of the court in the final seconds of that game.
As for Leonard, he finished the game with 28 points, four assists, three rebounds and a pair of blocks and steals.
James also recorded a double-double against the Raptors, finishing the night with 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. It didn’t prove to be enough as the Lakers were handily defeated by Toronto, 107-92.
James and the Purple and Gold will look to get back on the right track when they take on the Utah Jazz on Monday.
