LeBron’s Streak Ends, but the Win Says Everything
So here’s the story everyone’s talking about right now: LeBron James’ legendary streak of scoring double digits in 1,297 straight regular-season games has finally come to an end — and the wild part is, it ended on a night when the Lakers actually won, 123–120, against the Toronto Raptors. And honestly, the way it ended feels so perfectly “LeBron.”
The game was tight, and the Lakers were fighting without Luka Doncic, who didn’t travel with the team for personal reasons. Austin Reaves stepped up in a massive way, dropping 44 points and keeping the Lakers afloat all night. But the moment everyone is replaying came right at the end. With the score tied and just seconds left, the ball found its way into LeBron’s hands. He could have easily taken the shot himself — doing so would likely have pushed him to double digits, extending the streak that started all the way back on January 6th, 2007.
But instead, he made the pass.
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He swung it to Rui Hachimura in the left corner, trusting that Rui had the better look. And Hachimura absolutely drilled it — a clean 24-footer at the buzzer that sent the Lakers bench into chaos. As the crowd reacted and the shot was reviewed to confirm it beat the buzzer, LeBron just threw his hands up, celebrating the win.
Afterward, when he was asked what it felt like to see the streak finally end, he barely blinked. “None,” he said. “We won.” That was it. For him, the right basketball play mattered more than the record, and this moment was a perfect snapshot of how he has always approached the game.
His shooting night wasn’t great — he finished with eight points on 3-for-15 shooting — but he still contributed 11 assists and six rebounds. He tied the game late, even had a chance to get to double digits with a mid-range jumper in the final minutes, but once it rimmed out, he didn’t force anything. Even when Austin Reaves handed the ball back to him on the final possession, he chose to trust his teammate instead.
JJ Redick, now coaching the Lakers, said it perfectly: LeBron always knows exactly where he stands with his points, but he still made the choice he felt was right. And as Redick joked, “the basketball gods reward you when you play the right way.”
For perspective, LeBron’s streak wasn’t just long — it was historic. Michael Jordan’s best was 866 games. Kareem’s was 787. Karl Malone’s was 575. LeBron more than doubled Malone’s number and passed everyone else long ago. Among active players now, Kevin Durant holds the longest double-digit scoring run at 267 — which tells you just how absurd LeBron’s achievement really was.
But on this night, the streak ending didn’t matter. What mattered was the pass, the trust, and the win — and in true LeBron fashion, he celebrated the play that helped his team most, even if it snapped one of the sport’s most unbreakable records.
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