LeBron James’s Unprecedented Scoring Streak Comes to an End
The passage of time remains undefeated: LeBron James’s double-digit scoring streak is over. James’s run of putting up 10 or more points in every game since Jan. 5, 2007—when George W. Bush was the president and the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t even exist yet—may not be one of the greatest or most important accomplishments of his career, but it captures something essential about the nature of his decades-long dominance. According to Basketball-Reference.com, James’s streak of 1,297 games is a testament to his remarkable consistency, with 383 more games played than Allen Iverson’s entire career and 98 more than the Charlotte Hornets’ total wins in their 36-year history.
As noted by NBA.com, James’s streak tells the story of a player who has been great across three distinct eras, in every situation, for 23 years. Dwyane Wade, drafted alongside James, played for 16 years until 2019, and James scored 10 or more points in every game he played for the next five years. The end of the streak feels fitting now, in James’s 23rd season, as he’s inarguably on the decline. The time of LeBron James, Superstar might have ended last year, but the end of LeBron James, NBA Player finally feels foreseeable.
A Look Back at the Streak
There are parallels between the two eight-point games bracketing the streak. Cooper Flagg was two weeks old when James put up eight against the Bucks nearly 19 years ago. Footage from that game, available on YouTube, shows James racking up a game-high nine assists in a comfortable win for his team. James’s team won on Thursday too, under far more dramatic circumstances, with Austin Reaves putting up 44 points on 21 shots and throwing 10 assists.
As reported by ESPN, James, who sat out the start of the season with sciatica and turns 41 in three weeks, finally looked his age. The 4-for-17 shooting starts to tell the story, though the box score fails to account for how much of the game James spent standing around. Gone is the fearless slasher who would burst into the lane through three defenders and jam it on a center. He’s been replaced by a hesitant player, someone more content to direct traffic from the top of the key.
The End of an Era
James was blocked four times on Thursday, most alarmingly in the final minute. With the score tied, he backed Scottie Barnes down, got to his spot, creaked into his patented spin fadeaway, and had his shot summarily rejected. As I was watching, unaware of the jeopardy his streak was in, I worried this would be LeBron’s final moment of the night. Then, on the game’s final play, he won it for the Lakers in the most LeBron James way possible, flinging it to a wide-open Rui Hachimura in the corner for the win.
This is a perfect way for the streak to end, because LeBron James’s excellence has been defined by an unfailing preference for making the right play. According to Basketball-Reference.com, James has never been a guy to prioritize his own buckets for their own sake, and yet he produced at least 10 points’ worth of them for 1,297 consecutive games—80 more games than Steve Nash played in his career. That tendency, toward making the plays that win basketball games rather than engaging in post–Michael Jordan psychodrama about being the alpha dog who always takes the last shot no matter what, is what has made James such a special player.
As James himself said, “None,” when asked about the streak ending. “We won.” James will almost certainly start a new streak in his next game. That one will also matter less than winning, for as long as he can keep it going. With his incredible career and unwavering dedication to the sport, LeBron James continues to inspire and influence a new generation of basketball players and fans alike.
