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James understood his monumental streak of scoring in double figures was at risk. At the decisive instant, however, it was not his focus.

The correct basketball play meant distributing the rock – which is exactly what he did. Consequently, his remarkable run finished.

James's astounding run of 1,297 consecutive NBA regular season outings scoring at least ten concluded this past Thursday, when the NBA's all-time scoring leader had only a mere eight points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 123-120 victory over Toronto. He provided the game-winning assist, setting up Rui Hachimura to hit a three-pointer at the buzzer.

“None,” James replied when asked on the record concluding. “The team got the victory.”

An Unselfish Play Seals Victory

He might have tried to secure the contest – and extended his record – with the last shot, yet he opted to make the extra pass to Rui on the wing. Rui connected, prompting James raised his arms immediately.

You have to play basketball correctly. You always make the right play,” James noted. “That’s just been how I operate. That is the way I was instructed to play. I've played that way my whole career.”

James is acutely aware exactly how many points he's scored at all times,” stated the team's head coach the coach. He acted just as he has countless times.”

The Run's End Game

James re-entered the game one last time at just over five minutes left, the result and the streak on the line. He had six points on 3 for 15 from the field then.

He managed a basket at under two minutes remaining to level the contest but then missed a mid-range jumper at 1:01 left which could have taken him into double figures.

He didn’t take another shot – even though he had a chance. A teammate gave James the ball in the waning seconds, but James opted to make the extra pass instead.

“The basketball gods, if you approach it the proper way, they tend to repay you,” the coach concluded.

The History of an Unparalleled Streak

The record commenced over eighteen years ago. It was easily the longest double-digit streak the league has ever seen: MJ previously held a streak of 866 consecutive games with 10+ points, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recorded 787 such games, and The Mailman was fourth on the list with 575.

He is such an unselfish player,” noted Lakers center Jake LaRavia.

He simply plays the game of basketball. The chance was there but given who he is on the court and just who he is as an individual, he chose the unselfish play, dished to Hachimura and secured the victory.”

Getting to ten points had long been a guarantee early in the start of fourth quarters. Throughout his run, he had attained double figures by the beginning of the final quarter over twelve hundred times prior to Thursday.

But two of those unusual games below ten points through three quarters had occurred in the last week: He had nine going into the fourth against Dallas on 28 November, then had six points going into the fourth versus the Suns earlier in the week.

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

My focus is to make the correct play. That comes naturally, no matter what,” James said. If you make the unselfish play, the game gods are always returning the favor.”