Whenever LeBron James finally calls it a career, his most defining achievement might just be his longevity. Until he came along, nobody in NBA history had ever played 23 seasons, let alone at such a high level. The man made Second Team All-NBA last year, and although he missed a long stretch at the beginning of this season as he dealt with sciatica, since coming back he’s once again averaging over 20 points. That’s unheard of.
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The most tangible evidence of LeBron’s ability to bring it every night for so long is, or rather was, his 10-point streak. Up until a game against the Raptors earlier this month, LeBron had scored at least 10 points in a truly ridiculous 1,297 games in a row. That’s nearly 16 full seasons without ever dipping below double digits.
If LeBron had gotten hurt early in a game during that streak, it would have ended. The same is true if he’d had just one particularly bad shooting night. It never did though, not until December 4th, but it ended in the most LeBron way possible.
When LeBron had only eight points and caught a pass at the top of the key from Austin Reaves with under four seconds left and the score tied, he did what his instincts told him to do. He drew the defense with a dribble to the basket, then he kicked it to the corner to a wide open Rui Hachimura, who drained the game-winning 3 as time expired.
On the newest episode of Mind the Game, LeBron said that he’s always aware of how many points he has, but it’s never been a goal of his to keep the streak going. “It would be a disservice to me and the way I play the game,” he said. “And it showed in how this streak ended on how I’ve always played the game. It’s just, ‘How can we win?'”
LeBron was criticized earlier in his career for sometimes passing to an open shooter rather than taking the shot himself when the game was on the line.
“The one thing that’s gonna always be a common theme for me is just always making the right play,” he said. “For [the streak] to end in that fashion was literally just the way I was taught how to play the game, and I’ve always done it that way.”
When compared to other all-time greats, LeBron has always had more in common with Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan. He’s been the best passer in the game for most of his career thanks to his exceptional court vision, elite basketball IQ and unmatched ability to manipulate a defense. Evidently, it’s the hill he’s proud to fight and die on.
