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LeBron James was aware his historic streak of scoring in double figures was in danger. At the decisive instant, however, he wasn't bothered.

The smart move meant distributing the basketball – so he did. With that selfless act, the unprecedented record was over.

James's unprecedented streak of 1,297 consecutive NBA regular season double-digit scoring performances ended during a recent game, as the NBA's all-time scoring leader finished with eight points during the Lakers' close victory over the Toronto Raptors. He delivered the decisive pass, setting up Rui Hachimura to knock down a three-point shot to win the game.

“None,” James stated when asked on the record concluding. “The important thing is we won.”

An Unselfish Choice Delivers the Win

James could have sought to clinch the contest – and preserved the streak – on the final possession, yet he opted to make the extra pass to his teammate on the wing. Hachimura made the shot, and James celebrated triumphantly.

You have to play the game the right way. Always make the right play,” James noted. That is my philosophy. That is the way I was instructed the game. That's what I've done throughout my career.”

He is acutely aware of his point total he's scored at all times,” said the team's head coach the coach. “He did it as he has done so many times.”

The Run's End Game

He returned to the game one last time with just over five minutes left, the win and the streak both hanging in the balance. His tally was six points from 3-of-15 shooting then.

He got a bucket at 1:46 left to level the contest but then missed a shot at 1:01 left which could have gotten him into double figures.

He passed up a subsequent shot – but could have. A teammate passed him the ball in the waning seconds, yet LeBron chose to make the pass instead.

The basketball deities, if you approach it the right way, they will repay you,” the coach concluded.

The History of a Monumental Streak

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

He is such an unselfish player,” said Lakers center Jake LaRavia.

He simply plays the sport. The chance was there but because of the player he is and his personality as an individual, he executed the unselfish play, dished to Hachimura and we won the victory.”

Getting to ten points was usually a guarantee well before the fourth quarter began. Throughout his run, he had achieved ten points by the start of the fourth over twelve hundred times prior to Thursday.

However, two such games below ten points after three periods had happened recently: He recorded nine points entering the final quarter against Dallas last week, and then had six going into the fourth against Phoenix earlier in the week.

James managed to preserve the record in the Phoenix game. One game later, it concluded – and he celebrated anyway.

My focus is to make the right play. That comes naturally, regardless of outcome,” James said. If you make the unselfish play, the basketball gods are always rewarding me.”