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The Lakers star knew his historic streak of scoring in double figures was in danger. In that crucial moment, though, it was not his focus.

The smart move involved passing the ball – which is exactly what he did. With that selfless act, his remarkable run was over.

James's astounding run of over 1,200 straight regular-season double-digit scoring performances was snapped during a recent game, when basketball's greatest scorer finished with eight total points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 123-120 victory over the Toronto Raptors. He delivered the clutch helper, finding Rui Hachimura for a three-pointer to win the game.

“Nothing,” James stated in response regarding the conclusion of his run. “We won.”

A Selfless Choice Delivers the Game

LeBron had the chance to attempted to win the contest – and preserved the streak – on the final possession, yet he opted to pass to Rui stationed in the corner. Hachimura sank it, prompting James raised his arms immediately.

It's about playing the game the right way. You always make the right play,” James explained. That is my M.O.. That is the way I learned the game. I’ve done that throughout my career.”

James is acutely aware of how many points he has at all times,” commented the team's head coach JJ Redick. He acted as he has done countless times.”

The Run's End Game

He returned to the floor one last time at 5:23 remaining, the outcome and the streak both hanging in the balance. His tally was a mere six points from a 3-for-15 performance then.

He managed a basket at 1:46 left to knot the score and missed a 14-footer with one minute to go that might have pushed him to ten points.

He passed up another shot – but could have. A teammate found him as time wound down, however, James decided to dish it off instead of shooting.

“The basketball gods, if you approach it the right way, they often reward you,” Redick stated.

Reflecting on an Unparalleled Streak

James's streak commenced back in January 2007. It was, by far the longest double-digit streak in NBA history: Michael Jordan had 866 consecutive games with 10+ points, Kareem recorded 787 such games, and Karl Malone had the fourth-longest run of 575 games.

LeBron is such a team-oriented player,” remarked teammate a fellow Laker.

“He’s just playing the game of basketball. The chance was there but given who he is on the court and his character as a person, he executed the pass, passed it to Rui and we won the victory.”

Scoring in double figures had typically been an afterthought well before the start of fourth quarters. Over the course of the record, he had attained the 10-point mark by the beginning of the final quarter over twelve hundred times prior to Thursday.

But two such single-digit games after three periods took place recently: He recorded nine points entering the final quarter against Dallas on 28 November, followed by six going into the fourth against Phoenix on Monday night.

James managed to keep the streak alive in the Phoenix game. The very next outing, it finished – and he celebrated all the same.

“I always just make the right play. That comes naturally, no matter what,” James declared. If you make the unselfish play, the sports deities consistently returning the favor.”