Fading LeBron James pulls one more rabbit out of hat against tortured Raptors

Just over 22 years ago, LeBron James was set to play his first NBA game, and it was in Canada no less. Alas, that pre-season contest in St. John’s, Nfld., which was also supposed to feature the debut of Chris Bosh and a rare east coast appearance from Vince Carter, was not to be. Moisture on the court made conditions unsafe and the game was called off.

While the Raptors have sadly never returned to Newfoundland, Toronto has seen an awful lot of James over the years — some would argue too much based on his dominance over the franchise.

There’s a chance Thursday’s appearance will be his last in Toronto. James is already playing in a record-setting 23rd NBA season and has been limited to only six games due to a debilitating back issue and entered the night averaging about half of his career scoring output and was coming off the first outing without a rebound, block or steal of his life. Still, James probably wants a big farewell tour, so he could well still be active next season.

James slogged his way through all evening, with the drama building as to whether he would extend a streak that had seen him score in double digits in 1,297 games since 2007.

He got to eight on a tough score over Scottie Barnes late, but with a chance to score in the paint, James did what he’s done all career, make the right pass, finding Rui Hachimura in the corner for a three-pointer at the buzzer.

REAVES SCORES 44 POINTS

Los Angeles escaped with a 123-120 win with Austin Reaves scoring 44 points, the most by a Raptors opponent in Toronto in the last six seasons.

Thursday marked the 30th regular-season game at Toronto for James, behind only another Raptor-killer, Paul Pierce’s, 32, and James had averaged 27.9 points (third all-time by a Raptors opponent here) in the first 29 games. That includes the 56 points James dropped in Toronto in 2005, which stood as his highest-scoring game for nine more years.

Amazingly though, James was even better in the post-season when facing the Raptors. His Cleveland teams routinely beat the hell out of the Raptors when they played by Lake Erie, but James also dominated close to Lake Ontario. In seven playoff games in Toronto James averaged 32.1 points on 55.6% shooting, along with 9.1 rebounds and 8.1 assists, with the Cavs going 5-2 on the way to three series wins in three tries.

But again, that James is not this current version. Father Time remains undefeated. James started the game 1-for-8 from the field and was even blocked by Raptors rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, who wasn’t even born until James had already become an all-star and finished two NBA seasons. The league keeps getting younger and though James has defied logic for ages now (he was still sixth in MVP voting just one year ago), the wheels might finally have fallen off. Later Barnes, the best player on the floor other than Reaves, blocked a James fadeaway attempt.

LAST SEASON FOR LEBRON?

James is the only player still active from the 2003, 2004 or 2005 NBA drafts (with Chris Paul now without a team). Kyle Lowry is the only player left from 2006, three remain from 2007, four from both 2008 and 2009 and Paul George is the last from 2010.

He’s had the longest run of greatness in NBA history and has terrorized Toronto fans like no one else, but it must feel a little strange to not only no longer be the best player in the world (or close to it), but not even the best on his own team. Even with Luka Doncic away from the Lakers for the impending birth of a child, James was nowhere close to star level Thursday, even if the crowd still believed, still anticipated his every move and roared every time he checked back into the game.

His reign might be close to an end, but Long live the King, who just can’t quit burying the Raptors.