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The Lakers star knew his historic run of reaching double digits was threatened. When it mattered most, though, it didn't concern him.

The correct basketball play was to pass the ball – and he executed. Following that play, his remarkable run finished.

LeBron's unprecedented streak of over 1,200 straight NBA regular season outings scoring at least ten ended this past Thursday, as basketball's greatest scorer was limited to eight points during the Los Angeles Lakers' 123-120 victory over the Toronto Raptors. He delivered the game-winning assist, feeding teammate Rui Hachimura for a three-point shot at the buzzer.

“Nothing,” James stated when asked on the record concluding. “We won.”

A Selfless Choice Secures the Game

He might have attempted to win the game – while also extending the streak – with the last shot, yet he opted to pass to Hachimura in the left corner. Hachimura sank it, with LeBron raised his arms triumphantly.

“Just playing the game the right way. Always make the right play,” James explained. “That’s just been how I operate. That’s how I learned to play. That's what I've done my whole career.”

He is fully cognizant of his point total he's scored during a game,” commented the team's head coach JJ Redick. He made the play as he has done throughout his career.”

The Record's Final Moments

He returned to the floor for the final time at just over five minutes left, the result along with the historic run up for grabs. At that stage, he had six points from 3 for 15 from the field then.

He scored at 1:46 left to tie the game and missed a 14-footer at one minute to go that might have gotten him to double digits.

He passed up a subsequent shot – but could have. Austin Reaves passed him the ball in the waning seconds, but James opted to make the pass instead of shooting.

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

Reflecting on an Unparalleled Record

This incredible run began back in January 2007. It was easily the most extended double-digit streak the league has ever seen: Michael Jordan previously held a streak of 866 consecutive games with 10+ points, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recorded 787 such games, and Karl Malone recorded with 575.

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

He focuses on playing hoops. The chance was there but given his nature as a player and his personality as an individual, he chose the unselfish play, passed it to Rui and we won the game.”

Getting to ten points had typically been a formality well before the fourth quarter began. Over the course of the record, he had attained double figures entering the fourth 1,266 times coming into the contest.

But two such single-digit games after three periods had occurred recently: He recorded nine points entering the final quarter against Dallas last week, and then had six points going into the fourth against Phoenix earlier in the week.

He succeeded in keep the streak alive against the Suns. In the following contest, it was over – and he celebrated anyway.

My focus is to make the correct play. That’s automatic, no matter what,” James said. If you make the right play, the sports deities are always returning the favor.”