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LeBron James was aware his historic streak of reaching double digits was threatened. When it mattered most, however, he wasn't bothered.

The smart move involved passing the rock – so he did. With that selfless act, the legendary streak was over.

LeBron's astounding streak of over 1,200 straight NBA regular season double-digit scoring performances was snapped during a recent game, when the NBA's all-time scoring leader had only a mere eight points during the Los Angeles Lakers' 123-120 victory over Toronto. He made the decisive pass, feeding teammate Rui Hachimura for a triple at the buzzer.

“None,” James replied after being questioned about the streak ending. “The team got the victory.”

A Selfless Play Secures Victory

He might have tried to secure the contest – and extended the streak – with the last shot, instead, he decided to make the extra pass to Rui in the left corner. Hachimura sank it, and James exulted with his hands in the air.

You have to play basketball the proper way. You always make the correct play,” James noted. That is my philosophy. That is the way I learned to play. I’ve done that my whole career.”

“LeBron is fully cognizant of how many points he has at any point,” stated the team's head coach JJ Redick. “He did it like he’s done so many times.”

The Record's End Game

He returned to the floor one last time at 5:23 remaining, the result and the streak up for grabs. He had six points on 3-of-15 shooting at that juncture.

He managed a basket with 1:46 left to knot the score then missed a mid-range jumper with one minute to go which could have taken him to ten points.

He passed up a subsequent shot – though the opportunity was there. Austin Reaves gave James the ball in the waning seconds, yet LeBron chose to dish it off instead of shooting.

The basketball deities, if you do it the proper way, they tend to reward you,” Redick stated.

Reflecting on a Staggering Streak

This incredible run began over eighteen years ago. It was easily the greatest such streak in professional basketball: MJ had 866 straight games with 10+ points, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 787, and The Mailman was fourth on the list with 575.

LeBron is such an unselfish player,” remarked Lakers center Jake LaRavia.

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

Scoring in double figures had long been a formality well before the start of fourth quarters. Throughout his run, he had achieved the 10-point mark by the start of the fourth 1,266 times before this game.

But two such single-digit games after three periods took place in the last week: He had nine points going into the fourth against Dallas on 28 November, then had six points before the fourth quarter against Phoenix on Monday night.

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

My focus is to make the best play. That is instinctive, no matter what,” James said. If you make the smart play, the game gods forever rewarding me.”