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James understood his historic streak of putting up 10+ points was threatened. When it mattered most, though, it didn't concern him.

The smart move involved passing the ball – so he did. Consequently, the legendary streak came to an end.

LeBron's unprecedented streak of 1,297 consecutive NBA regular season games with 10+ points was snapped this past Thursday, as basketball's greatest scorer was limited to eight total points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 123-120 win against the Toronto Raptors. He provided the clutch helper, feeding teammate Rui Hachimura for a triple as time expired.

“Zero,” James replied after being questioned on the record concluding. “The team got the victory.”

A Team-First Decision Seals the Game

He might have attempted to win the contest – and extended the streak – on the final possession, yet he opted to pass to Hachimura on the wing. Rui connected, prompting James exulted triumphantly.

“Just playing basketball the right way. You always make the right play,” James remarked. “That’s just been my M.O.. That’s how I was taught to play. That's what I've done throughout my career.”

He is acutely aware of how many points he's scored at all times,” commented the team's head coach JJ Redick. “He did it like he’s done throughout his career.”

The Streak's Final Moments

He returned to the game for the final time with just over five minutes left, the win along with the historic run on the line. At that stage, he had six points from 3-of-15 shooting at that juncture.

He scored at under two minutes remaining to level the contest but then missed a 14-footer at 1:01 left that would have taken him to double digits.

He avoided taking a subsequent shot – but could have. A teammate gave James the ball in the waning seconds, yet LeBron opted to make the pass instead of shooting.

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

The History of a Monumental Record

James's streak began on Jan. 6, 2007. It was, by far the longest such streak the league has ever seen: Michael Jordan previously held a streak of 866 straight double-digit scoring games, Kareem recorded 787 such games, and The Mailman was fourth on the list of 575 games.

“He’s such a team-oriented player,” noted teammate Jake LaRavia.

He simply plays the sport. The chance was there but due to his nature as a player and his character as a person, he chose the pass, dished to Hachimura and secured the game.”

Scoring in double figures was usually a formality early in the fourth quarter began. During James’s streak, he had attained ten points by the beginning of the final quarter on the vast majority of occasions prior to Thursday.

Yet two of those unusual single-digit games through three quarters had occurred recently: He had nine entering the final quarter versus the Mavericks last week, and then had six points going into the fourth against Phoenix earlier in the week.

He succeeded in keep the streak alive in the Phoenix game. The very next outing, it was over – yet he was celebrating all the same.

My focus is to make the best play. That is instinctive, no matter what,” James declared. “You make the smart play, the basketball gods forever giving back to me.”