Watch - LeBron James once sent Jusuf Nurkic into the shadow realm

LeBron James is known for throwing down some insane posters over the course of his career. However, this one during his Cleveland days over Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic had a different kind of punch to it.

During the 2017-18 season, LeBron and the Cavaliers were looking like a broken team. With Kyrie Irving leaving the Cavs and Kevin Love becoming a shadow of his former self, James appeared to be the last remaining superstar.

However, this didn't stop the then-33-year-old from absolutely dominating on every front. While "King James" had already faced criticism regarding his age, he turned back the clock in this game against the Trail Blazers in March 2018.

Early in the first quarter, James had the ball way outside the paint. A ghost screen helped LeBron break past two defenders. One dribble inside the arc and James took off well outside the paint.

As the Cavs superstar soared through the air, Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic made an attempt to meet him at the rim. Nurkic, unfortunately, made the decision to commit to the block a little too late.

With merely a silhouette of Nurkic in front of him, LeBron detonated and punched it down on the Trail Blazers' center with no remorse.

The dunk itself has been elevated to iconic status in particular because of Nurkic's taunts that preceded the play. Nurkic once blocked LeBron and taunted him back in the 2016-17 season, during his time with the Denver Nuggets.

Although the two events may have been standalone occasions, fans can't resist drawing parallels.

Nurkic has since continued to taunt James in games. Even during the 2018-19 season, the Trail Blazers center committed a hard foul on the now-Lakers superstar. While LeBron was slow to recover, Nurkic proceeded to make a crying gesture to make James.

Unfortunately, with Nurkic being largely unavailable due to injury issues, the center has also received his fair share of criticism.

Read: Watch: Top 5 age-defying dunks by LeBron James

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LeBron James is heading into year 21 in the NBA

At the age of 38, LA Lakers superstar LeBron James will be returning for another season of professional basketball. Heading into his 21st NBA campaign, fans aren't sure what to expect from "King James" anymore.

While it is evident that he has certainly lost a step, James continues to be a major contributor to the Lakers' success. While his strength and athleticism are still solid factors, James impacts the game with his playmaking most.

James shut down any concerns of him retiring at the ESPYs recently. After a tremendous 2022-23 campaign, it seems like LeBron has enough faith in the LA Lakers' roster and the organization to have one more run at winning it all.

Read: "He has a few more years to come"- Darvin Ham expects LeBron James to play until he is 50