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The Lakers star knew his historic run of scoring in double figures was threatened. When it mattered most, though, it was not his focus.

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

James's unprecedented streak of over 1,200 straight regular-season outings scoring at least ten was snapped on Thursday night, when basketball's greatest scorer had only a mere eight points in the Lakers' close victory over Toronto. He delivered the game-winning assist, finding teammate Rui Hachimura to hit a triple as time expired.

“Zero,” James stated in response about the streak ending. “The team got the victory.”

An Unselfish Play Seals Victory

LeBron had the chance to sought to clinch the contest – and extended his record – in the closing seconds, yet he opted to make the extra pass to Rui stationed in the corner. Rui connected, prompting James celebrated immediately.

It's about playing basketball correctly. Always make the correct play,” James explained. That has always been how I operate. It's how I was instructed to play. That's what I've done for two decades.”

He is fully cognizant of his point total he has at all times,” said Lakers coach the coach. He acted as he has done so many times.”

The Streak's End Game

He returned to the floor for the final time with just over five minutes left, the result along with the historic run up for grabs. He had only six points from 3 for 15 from the field by that point.

He managed a basket at under two minutes remaining to tie the game and missed a 14-footer with 1:01 left that might have taken him to ten points.

He didn’t take another shot – though the opportunity was there. Austin Reaves found him in the waning seconds, yet LeBron decided to make the extra pass instead of shooting.

“The basketball gods, if you do it the proper way, they tend to repay you,” Redick added.

A Look Back at a Monumental Streak

This incredible run commenced over eighteen years ago. It stood as the longest such streak in professional basketball: MJ previously held a streak of 866 consecutive double-digit scoring games, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recorded 787, and The Mailman had the fourth-longest run with 575.

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

“He’s just playing the game of basketball. He could have shot but given the player he is and his character as a person, he executed the team play, dished to Hachimura and claimed the victory.”

Reaching double digits had typically been an afterthought long before the start of fourth quarters. During James’s streak, he had achieved double figures by the start of the fourth over twelve hundred times coming into the contest.

However, two of those unusual single-digit games through three quarters had happened just days before: He recorded nine going into the fourth versus the Mavericks last week, followed by six going into the fourth versus the Suns earlier in the week.

James managed to extend the streak against the Suns. In the following contest, it was over – but he still rejoiced anyway.

“I always just make the correct play. That comes naturally, win, lose or draw,” James declared. “You make the unselfish play, the sports deities forever rewarding me.”