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The Lakers star knew his monumental streak of putting up 10+ points was in danger. At the decisive instant, though, it didn't concern him.

The correct basketball play meant distributing the basketball – so he did. Following that play, the unprecedented record came to an end.

James's unprecedented run of over 1,200 straight regular-season outings scoring at least ten concluded on Thursday night, as the NBA's all-time scoring leader was limited to eight total points during the Los Angeles Lakers' 123-120 victory over the Toronto Raptors. He delivered the clutch helper, finding Rui Hachimura to hit a triple to win the game.

“Zero,” James stated in response regarding the conclusion of his run. “The important thing is we won.”

An Unselfish Choice Secures the Win

He might have sought to clinch the contest – and preserved the streak – with the last shot, yet he opted to pass to his teammate in the left corner. Hachimura made the shot, and James exulted with his hands in the air.

You have to play the game the right way. Always make the correct play,” James explained. “That’s just been my M.O.. That’s how I was taught to play. I’ve done that for two decades.”

“LeBron is acutely aware of his point total he's scored at any point,” stated the team's head coach the coach. He made the play just as he has countless times.”

The Streak's Final Moments

James re-entered the contest for the final time at under five and a half minutes to go, the win and the streak on the line. His tally was six points on 3-of-15 shooting by that point.

He got a bucket with under two minutes remaining to knot the score but then missed a 14-footer at one minute to go that would have taken him to double digits.

He avoided taking one more attempt – though the opportunity was there. Austin Reaves gave James the ball in the waning seconds, yet LeBron chose to make the extra pass instead of shooting.

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

A Look Back at a Staggering Record

James's streak started back in January 2007. It was, by far the greatest double-digit streak in NBA history: MJ had 866 consecutive double-digit scoring games, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 787 such games, and Karl Malone was fourth on the list at 575.

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

He focuses on playing the sport. He had the opportunity but given his nature as a player and his personality off the court, he made the pass, passed it to Rui and claimed the victory.”

Scoring in double figures had typically been an afterthought well before the final period. Throughout his run, he had reached double figures by the start of the fourth over twelve hundred times prior to Thursday.

However, two of those rare games below ten points through three quarters had happened recently: He had nine points going into the fourth against Dallas last week, and then had six going into the fourth against Phoenix earlier in the week.

LeBron was able to preserve the record in the Phoenix game. One game later, it finished – and he celebrated all the same.

“I always just make the right play. That’s automatic, no matter what,” James said. If you make the right play, the basketball gods are always rewarding me.”