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James understood his monumental run of putting up 10+ points was threatened. When it mattered most, though, he wasn't bothered.

The correct basketball play meant distributing the basketball – which is exactly what he did. Following that play, the legendary streak came to an end.

James's astounding run of over 1,200 straight NBA regular season outings scoring at least ten concluded during a recent game, when basketball's greatest scorer was limited to a mere eight points in the Lakers' close victory over Toronto. He made the game-winning assist, finding teammate Rui Hachimura to hit a triple at the buzzer.

“None,” James replied in response about the streak ending. “The important thing is we won.”

A Team-First Choice Delivers the Win

James could have tried to secure the contest – and preserved his record – in the closing seconds, yet he opted to make the extra pass to his teammate in the left corner. Hachimura sank it, and James exulted immediately.

“Just playing basketball correctly. Make the smart play,” James remarked. “That’s just been how I operate. That is the way I was taught the game. I've played that way for two decades.”

James is acutely aware of how many points he has at all times,” stated Lakers coach the coach. He made the play as he has done countless times.”

The Record's Closing Chapter

He returned to the floor one last time with just over five minutes left, the result and his personal record on the line. His tally was only six points on a 3-for-15 performance by that point.

He scored at under two minutes remaining to knot the score but then missed a mid-range jumper at one minute to go that might have pushed him to double digits.

He avoided taking another shot – but could have. A teammate found him with a few seconds left, yet LeBron decided to make the pass instead of shooting.

“The basketball gods, if you do it correctly, they often reward you,” the coach concluded.

A Look Back at a Monumental Streak

The record commenced over eighteen years ago. It stood as the longest double-digit streak in professional basketball: MJ had 866 straight double-digit scoring games, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recorded 787 such games, and Karl Malone was fourth on the list at 575.

LeBron is such a pass-first superstar,” remarked teammate Jake LaRavia.

He simply plays the sport. He had the opportunity but due to the player he is and his character as an individual, he chose the team play, found Rui and secured the game.”

Scoring in double figures had long been a guarantee well before the start of fourth quarters. Throughout his run, he had attained ten points by the start of the fourth over twelve hundred times coming into the contest.

Yet two such games below ten points through three quarters had happened in the last week: He had nine going into the fourth against Dallas on 28 November, then had six going into the fourth against Phoenix on Monday night.

James managed to keep the streak alive in the Phoenix game. In the following contest, it concluded – yet he was celebrating all the same.

“I always just make the right play. That is instinctive, no matter what,” James affirmed. If you make the unselfish play, the basketball gods consistently returning the favor.”