Tuesday’s 128-111 Los Angeles Lakers‘ win marked the 28th time in LeBron James‘ 20-year NBA career that he’s travelled north of the border to face the Toronto Raptors in the regular season.
Add on the seven playoff games James played at Scotiabank Arena, and the 39-year-old has spent his fair share of time playing in front of the fans in Toronto.
After scoring 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting while dishing out nine assists, James was asked about how he has been treated by the Canadian crowds over the course of his career.
“It’s always been mutual respect and love every time I come here and play here,” the four-time MVP said. “Throughout my career, they’ve shown me nothing but love, even through the battles in the post-season, these fans are always appreciative of myself and I try to give it back to them when I step out on the floor.”
James has always treated the Toronto fans with a solid performance. Entering Tuesday’s game, he was averaging 28.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.3 assists in his career while on the road against the Raptors.
While James and co-star Anthony Davis were listed as questionable for the game, the Toronto crowd gave the NBA’s all-time leading scorer a loud cheer when he ran out on the floor for the game.
The Lakers improved to 43-33 with the win as they continue to battle for position in the Western Conference’s Play-in Tournament standings.
Meanwhile, the Raptors dropped to 23-52 with their 14th straight loss.