LeBron James reflected on his legendary 1,297-game streak of scoring at least 10 points, saying he never chased the milestone and always prioritized efficiency and team play.
LeBron James’ legendary streak of scoring at least 10 points in 1,297 straight games came to an end during a Los Angeles Lakers win over the Toronto Raptors.
Los Angeles Lakers / Schedule
LeBron finished with just eight points, but instead of trying to extend the streak, he found Rui Hachimura for the game-winning three-pointer.
On the latest episode of the Mind the Game podcast with Steve Nash, James reflected on the streak ending.
“I’m a guy that goes to the bench, and I like to look at the stat sheet. I like to look at what I’m shooting from the field, I like to be super efficient. I’d be lying to say that I don’t know how many points I have at any given moment of the game, but I never went into the game during the streak saying ‘OK, I have to get 10 points.”
“I have to keep this streak going.’ It would be a disservice to me and the way I play the game. And it showed in how this streak ended on how I’ve always played the game.”
Credit AP - Scanpix
LeBron admitted he knew the streak could end that night because he just wasn’t in rhythm.
“Yeah, I was clearly aware. You know, I was so not in a rhythm. The one rhythm I know that I will always have is the ability to draw a crowd and put the ball on-time, on-target. I had a couple shots in that game where, literally I had a three on the right wing that would’ve put me up to 11 points that hit all the rim, hit the backboard, came back around the rim again and then came out. I was like, ‘OK, it’s one of those nights. It’s one of those nights.’”
The streak had nearly ended in previous games as well. James recalled a 2021 matchup against the Atlanta Hawks when he played through injury and barely reached 10 points before exiting.
LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron James
MIN: 34.05
PTS: 20.18 (53.22%)
REB: 5.64
As: 7.09
ST: 0.91
BL: 0.64
TO: 2.64
GM: 11
“I mean, there were some close calls for sure. I had a season in which I believe, I don’t know if it was 2021 or ’22 or maybe ’20, I don’t know coming out of the bubble. I was playing some of the best basketball of my career even at that stage of my career and we were playing Atlanta and my leg got rolled up on.”
“And any time that I’ve sprained my ankle or my leg got rolled up on or whatever I’ve had this routine of like, ‘OK, you feel it, but let’s just tighten the shoes. Let’s tighten the shoes up a little bit tighter and let’s get going.’ And I played a little bit more through it. I was in the left wing, got a pass, hit a three. I think that actually put me up to 10 points. And my leg just started getting really, really hot and I could barely run.”
“Basically long story, short, I think I was out maybe 4-6 weeks with a high ankle sprain. And that was one of the moments where I was like, yeah, very easily could’ve ended that night for sure. And there was a couple other moments too, but that was definitely one that sticks out in the front of my mind,” James concluded.
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