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"He seems to see and beat everything" - Nick Nurse reveals how difficult it is to build a gameplan to stop LeBron James

LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Toronto Raptors [Source: New York Times]
LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Toronto Raptors [Source: New York Times]

When asked about tough players to plan against, LeBron James was the first player Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse named.

Coach Nick Nurse appeared on The Old Man and the Three podcast with JJ Redick and spoke about his journey as a head coach.

Redick, who was a premier sharpshooter himself, always asks his guests about their views on Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. Nick Nurse had the misfortune of coaching against the two-time MVP in the 2019 Finals. But when asked about Curry and other tough players to plan against, Nurse instantly mentioned LeBron James. He said:

"I mean it's really hard to figure out what to do with LeBron...He seems to see and beat everything. It's hard to make him that uncomfortable."

If you have followed basketball long enough, you know the legend of LeBron James and 'LeBronto'. The kid from Akron, Ohio, that everyone calls King, has tormented the Toronto Raptors for years.

Coach Nick Nurse has, unfortunately, been on the receiving end of heartbreaking losses. He knows firsthand what a nightmare LeBron James can be to stop or even try to slow down.

2 years ago today, LeBron hit this ICONIC game winner vs the Raptors 😳 https://t.co/5v1wSbpByl

LeBron James has a record of 12-2 against the Toronto Raptors in his playoff career. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Raptors 4-2 in the 2016 NBA playoffs and then swept them in 2017. One can argue that James' Cavaliers were the far better team on both occasions.

But during the 2018 NBA playoffs, the Cavaliers were without Kyrie Irving and also didn't have home-court advantage. The Raptors, on the other hand, were the 1st seed in the Eastern Conference and everyone thought that this was the year they finally take down LeBron James and his Cavaliers. However, King James had other plans and he fueled another humiliating sweep of the top-seeded Raptors, forever establishing the legend of "LeBronto."

Toronto will now forever be known as LeBronto https://t.co/5dLPjTmoAF

LeBron James is playing at an unprecedented level at the age of 37

LeBron James of the LA Lakers against Minnesota
LeBron James of the LA Lakers against Minnesota

We will probably never witness another LeBron James in the NBA again. The 37-year-old is putting up numbers that would embarrass 25-year-olds and he is doing it with ease. He is the youngest and also the oldest player to average over 25 points per game.

James is also the only player in NBA history to average over 25 points per game in a season for 18 straight seasons when no other player has done it more than 12. His prime is longer than most players' entire careers and it doesn't look like he is slowing down anytime soon.

lebron is not human 🤯 https://t.co/VkaJ8IWtTS

LeBron James over the last seven games has averaged 35.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 57% from the field and 44% from beyond the arc. These are absurd numbers for a player in his 19th season who has logged the third-most minutes in NBA history.

James' LA Lakers are struggling right now but it certainly isn't because of him.

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