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James understood his incredible run of scoring in double figures was at risk. In that crucial moment, however, it didn't concern him.

The correct basketball play meant distributing the ball – which is exactly what he did. Following that play, the legendary streak was over.

James's unprecedented streak of over 1,200 straight NBA regular season games with 10+ points was snapped during a recent game, when the league's career points king had only eight total points in the Lakers' close triumph versus the Toronto Raptors. He delivered the decisive pass, finding teammate Rui Hachimura to hit a triple as time expired.

“Zero,” James replied in response about the streak ending. “The team got the victory.”

An Unselfish Decision Seals Victory

James could have sought to clinch the contest – and extended his record – with the last shot, instead, he decided to dish the ball to Hachimura in the left corner. Hachimura sank it, with LeBron celebrated immediately.

You have to play the game the right way. Always make the smart play,” James remarked. That has always been my M.O.. That is the way I was instructed to play. That's what I've done for two decades.”

James is fully cognizant of his point total he has at all times,” said the team's head coach the coach. He acted just as he has so many times.”

The Run's End Game

LeBron checked back into the contest one last time with 5:23 remaining, the result and the streak both hanging in the balance. His tally was only six points on a 3-for-15 performance by that point.

He got a bucket at under two minutes remaining to tie the game but then missed a 14-footer with 1:01 left that would have taken him to ten points.

He avoided taking a subsequent shot – even though he had a chance. Austin Reaves found him as time wound down, yet LeBron opted to make the pass instead.

The basketball deities, if you do it the proper way, they tend to repay you,” the coach concluded.

Reflecting on a Staggering Record

This incredible run commenced on Jan. 6, 2007. It was, by far the longest streak of its kind in professional basketball: His Airness, Michael Jordan previously held a streak of 866 straight games with 10+ points, Kareem had 787 such games, and Karl Malone had the fourth-longest run of 575 games.

“He’s such an unselfish player,” noted teammate a fellow Laker.

“He’s just playing the sport. He had the opportunity but because of who he is on the court and his character as an individual, he made the team play, passed it to Rui and claimed the victory.”

Reaching double digits was usually a guarantee well before the start of fourth quarters. During James’s streak, he had achieved the 10-point mark by the start of the fourth over twelve hundred times before this game.

But two of those rare single-digit games after three periods had happened in the last week: He recorded nine entering the final quarter versus the Mavericks on 28 November, then had six points before the fourth quarter versus the Suns earlier in the week.

LeBron was able to extend the streak in the Phoenix game. In the following contest, it concluded – yet he was celebrating all the same.

My focus is to make the right play. That’s automatic, regardless of outcome,” James declared. If you make the unselfish play, the sports deities consistently giving back to me.”