In a stunning end to one of professional sport's most remarkable records, LeBron James saw his 18-year streak of scoring in double figures snapped at 1,297 consecutive games. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar was held to just eight points in a tense 123-120 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night.
A Selfless Play Seals Victory and Ends an Era
With the game on the line and his personal milestone within reach, James made the decisive, unselfish play. Instead of forcing a shot to extend his legendary streak, he dished a perfect pass to teammate Rui Hachimura in the left corner. Hachimura drained the three-pointer as time expired, securing the win for the Lakers.
"None," was James's blunt response when asked post-game about his thoughts on the streak ending. "We won." He elaborated on his philosophy, stating, "Just playing the game the right way. You always make the right play. That's just been my M.O. That's how I was taught the game."
The Final Chapter of an Unmatched Record
The streak, which began on 6 January 2007, was by far the longest in NBA history, dwarfing the runs of legends like Michael Jordan (866 games) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (787). It had become such a fixture that James had reached 10 points by the start of the fourth quarter in 1,266 of those games.
However, signs of its potential end had emerged recently. He entered the final quarter with nine points against Dallas on 28 November and with just six against Phoenix earlier this week, managing to extend the run on that occasion. Against the Raptors, with 5:23 remaining, he had only six points on 3-of-15 shooting.
He scored a crucial basket to tie the game with 1:46 left and missed a 14-foot jumper that would have brought him to 10 points with just over a minute remaining. On the final possession, guard Austin Reaves gave him the ball, but James chose the pass over the shot.
Team First: A Legacy Moment
Lakers coach JJ Redick acknowledged James's awareness of the situation, saying, "LeBron is acutely aware of how many points he has at that point. He did it like he's done so many times." Redick added, "The basketball gods, if you do it the right way, they tend to reward you."
Teammates praised the four-time champion's decision. Lakers centre Jake LaRavia noted, "He's such an unselfish player... because of the player he is and just who he is as a person, he made the unselfish play, passed it to Rui and we won the game."
While an individual record of nearly two decades has fallen, James's act of sacrifice for a team victory encapsulates the ethos that has defined his career. As he put it himself: "I always just make the right play. That's automatic, win, lose or draw. You make the right play, the game gods are always giving back to me." On this historic night, they gave back a win, even as they took away a streak.
