LeBron James’ legendary streak has finally come to an end - and in the most LeBron way possible.
After 1,297 consecutive regular-season games scoring at least 10 points - a run that began all the way back on January 6, 2007 - the streak was snapped in the Lakers’ 123-120 win over the Toronto Raptors. Yes, a win.
And that part matters just as much to LeBron as the streak ever did. Maybe more.
James finished the game with just eight points, marking the first time in nearly 19 years that he failed to hit double digits in scoring. But if you think he was chasing numbers or padding stats, think again. That’s never been his style - and he made it clear that the streak, while historic, was never the priority.
“You know, I’m a guy that goes to the bench and I like to look at the stat sheet,” James said on Mind the Game, the podcast he co-hosts. “I like to look at what I’m shooting from the field.
I like to be super efficient. I’d be lying if I said that I don’t know how many points I have at any given moment of the game, but I don’t go into a game… I never went into a game during the streak saying, ‘I have to get 10 points.
I have to keep this streak going.’ That would be a disservice to me and the way I play the game.”
That mindset - valuing efficiency, team success, and making the right basketball play - has defined LeBron’s career. And it’s exactly what showed up in the closing minutes of this particular game.
With the score tied late and his shot clearly off all night, LeBron made a decision that speaks volumes about who he is as a player. He passed up a chance to force the issue and go for double digits. Instead, he found Rui Hachimura in the corner, who buried a buzzer-beating three to seal the win.
That assist - his 11th of the night - was vintage LeBron. Not the scorer.
Not the stat-chaser. The playmaker.
The guy who reads the moment, draws defenders, and delivers a pass right on time and on target.
“Yeah, I was clearly aware,” James admitted when asked if he knew the streak was in jeopardy. “I was so not in the rhythm. The one rhythm I know I will always have is the ability to draw a crowd and put the ball on time and on target.”
He even described one particular shot - a three from the right wing - that seemed destined to go in, only to rattle out in dramatic fashion. “It literally hit all rim, hit the backboard, came back around the rim again, and then came out,” he said.
“I was like, ‘Okay, it’s one of those nights. It’s one of those nights.’”
And when it’s one of those nights, LeBron knows what to do. He doesn’t force it.
He doesn’t chase points. He finds the hot hand.
He trusts his teammates. And he plays to win.
Before LeBron, the longest streak of scoring 10 or more points belonged to Michael Jordan - 866 games. James blew past that mark long ago, setting a standard that may never be touched again.
But that’s not why he kept it going. He wasn’t trying to protect a number.
He was just playing the right way, night after night, for nearly two decades.
And when the streak finally ended, it wasn’t because he couldn’t score 10. It was because he chose not to force it. Because the win mattered more.
That’s the beauty of LeBron’s legacy. It’s not just the numbers - though they’re staggering.
It’s the way he’s always prioritized the team, the moment, and the game itself. Even on a night when history was on the line, he stuck to that.
So yes, the streak is over. But the example? That’s still very much alive.