For decades, LeBron James has terrorized the NBA. Perhaps the Toronto Raptors most of all. He has scored in double-digit figures for 1297 games consecutively. That is, until he played tonight in Toronto.
The last time James scored in single digits was on January 5, 2007. He finished with eight points in a win, as he started alongside Eric Snow and Drew Gooden, among others.
James spent years beating the Raptors in the playoffs, in the regular season, in every which way. His streak ended in Toronto, but still with a victory for James. He shot 4-of-17 from the field, but he finished with 11 assists, including the most important one of the night.
Perhaps the most poetic component of the streak ending was James’ final choice in the game. With the clock running down in a tie game, and James lodged at eight points, he could easily have chosen to shoot to attempt to keep the streak alive and win the game. Instead, he made the right pass to the corner to Rui Hachimura, who hit the game-winning triple.
James’ streak is perhaps one of the most impressive ones in sports. That number,1297, would rank 25th, for example, in total games played in anyone’s career in NBA history. More than the total number of games played by Derek Fisher, Russell Westbrook, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, and virtually every other player who has been in the NBA. Now it’s over.
The Raptors play next tomorrow night, Dec. 5, against the Charlotte Hornets.
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