It’s the occasional byproduct of the NBA’s knack for churning out soap-opera-esque plot lines: the revenge game.
You’ve seen the scenarios. Vince Carter quit on the Raptors because, in part, the franchise wouldn’t install Julius Erving as general manager. So not long after Carter was traded to the New Jersey Nets, he returned to Toronto in a throwback Dr. J jersey en route to torching the Raptors for 39 points in a New Jersey win.
LeBron James spurned Cleveland by taking his talents to South Beach, only to see Cleveland’s owner disparage him and the city’s fans burn his James jerseys.