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James understood his historic run of scoring in double figures was threatened. At the decisive instant, though, it was not his focus.

The right decision was to pass the rock – which is exactly what he did. Following that play, his remarkable run was over.

LeBron's astounding streak of over 1,200 straight NBA regular season double-digit scoring performances was snapped this past Thursday, when basketball's greatest scorer had only a mere eight points in the Lakers' close triumph versus Toronto. He made the game-winning assist, setting up teammate Rui Hachimura for a triple to win the game.

“Zero,” James replied when asked about the streak ending. “The team got the victory.”

A Team-First Play Delivers the Game

LeBron had the chance to tried to secure the game – and preserved his record – with the last shot, instead, he decided to make the extra pass to his teammate on the wing. Hachimura sank it, and James raised his arms triumphantly.

“Just playing the game the proper way. You always make the right play,” James remarked. That is how I operate. It's how I was instructed to play. I've played that way my whole career.”

“LeBron is fully cognizant of how many points he has during a game,” commented the team's head coach JJ Redick. “He did it as he has done throughout his career.”

The Record's Closing Chapter

He returned to the contest for the final time at under five and a half minutes to go, the result along with the historic run up for grabs. He had only six points on a 3-for-15 performance then.

He scored at 1:46 left to tie the game but then missed a shot at 1:01 left which could have taken him to ten points.

He didn’t take a subsequent shot – though the opportunity was there. A teammate gave James the ball in the waning seconds, but James decided to make the pass instead of shooting.

“The basketball gods, when you play it correctly, they will repay you,” Redick stated.

The History of an Unparalleled Run

The record started over eighteen years ago. It stood as the greatest double-digit streak in professional basketball: Michael Jordan previously held a streak of 866 straight double-digit scoring games, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 787 such games, and Karl Malone was fourth on the list of 575 games.

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

He simply plays hoops. He could have shot but because of the player he is and his character off the court, he made the unselfish play, dished to Hachimura and we won the victory.”

Reaching double digits was usually a formality early in the start of fourth quarters. Over the course of the record, he had attained ten points entering the fourth on the vast majority of occasions prior to Thursday.

But two such single-digit games after three periods had happened in the last week: He recorded nine going into the fourth against Dallas on 28 November, then had six points before the fourth quarter versus the Suns earlier in the week.

LeBron was able to preserve the record in the Phoenix game. In the following contest, it finished – and he celebrated anyway.

I only ever make the best play. That is instinctive, regardless of outcome,” James said. If you make the smart play, the sports deities consistently returning the favor.”