🔗 Share this article

James understood his monumental run of scoring in double figures was threatened. When it mattered most, though, it was not his focus.

The right decision involved passing the rock – so he did. Following that play, the legendary streak finished.

James's staggering run of over 1,200 straight NBA regular season double-digit scoring performances ended during a recent game, as the league's career points king finished with a mere eight points during the Lakers' 123-120 win against the Toronto Raptors. He provided the game-winning assist, finding Rui Hachimura for a triple as time expired.

“None,” James said after being questioned about the streak ending. “We won.”

A Selfless Play Seals the Game

He might have tried to secure the contest – and preserved his record – with the last shot, but he chose to dish the ball to his teammate in the left corner. Hachimura made the shot, prompting James celebrated triumphantly.

You have to play basketball correctly. You always make the smart play,” James explained. That has always been how I operate. It's how I learned the game. I’ve done that my whole career.”

James is fully cognizant of his point total he's scored at all times,” said the team's head coach JJ Redick. He acted as he has done throughout his career.”

The Run's Closing Chapter

LeBron checked back into the contest for the final time with 5:23 remaining, the result along with the historic run up for grabs. At that stage, he had only six points from a 3-for-15 performance by that point.

He scored with 1:46 left to tie the game and missed a 14-footer at 1:01 left that might have taken him to double digits.

He passed up another shot – but could have. Austin Reaves passed him the ball in the waning seconds, but James opted to make the extra pass instead of shooting.

The spirits of the game, if you do it correctly, they will reward you,” the coach concluded.

Reflecting on a Monumental Streak

The record commenced back in January 2007. It was, by far the longest double-digit streak in NBA history: Michael Jordan previously held a streak of 866 straight double-digit scoring games, Kareem recorded 787 such games, and Karl Malone had the fourth-longest run of 575 games.

He is such a team-oriented player,” remarked teammate a fellow Laker.

“He’s just playing the sport. The chance was there but because of who he is on the court and just who he is as an individual, he made the team play, found Rui and we won the victory.”

Getting to ten points had typically been a formality well before the start of fourth quarters. Over the course of the record, he had achieved ten points by the beginning of the final quarter on the vast majority of occasions before this game.

Yet two such single-digit games after three periods had happened just days before: He recorded nine points going into the fourth against Dallas last week, followed by six points before the fourth quarter versus the Suns earlier in the week.

James managed to extend the streak against the Suns. The very next outing, it concluded – yet he was celebrating all the same.

My focus is to make the best play. That’s automatic, win, lose or draw,” James said. When you make the unselfish play, the sports deities forever rewarding me.”