LeBron James narrowly maintained one of the most impressive ongoing streaks in all of sports.
Last night, the Los Angeles Lakers suffered their first loss of the JJ Redick era after falling 105-109 to the Phoenix Suns. The competitive contest between the Western Conference counterparts came down to the wire, as did Lakers superstar LeBron James’ chance to preserve his unrivaled double-digit scoring streak.
With two minutes left on the game clock, James utilized separation from an Anthony Davis screen to hit his second three of the game and finally reach double digits, extending his double-digit scoring streak to 1,226 games.
Lakers’ LeBron James’ scoring streak is a testament to his longevity
The last time that James scored under single digits was in January 2007. Night at the Museum had just hit theaters and the Billboard Hot 100 featured the likes of “Fergalicious” and “Welcome to the Black Parade.” The final Harry Potter book had yet to be released, nor had the first iPhone.
Nearly 18 years later, James’ remarkable stretch of consistency continues to grow with each game, standing alone as the most ever by a wide margin. Trailing in second is Michael Jordan, who scored in double digits in 866 consecutive games. The second longest streak among active players is Kevin Durant with 192.
Impressively, James’ streak of 1,226 games has surpassed the entire playing career of Hall of Famer and former Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal, who played 1,207 games throughout his NBA tenure.
Illness put LeBron’s streak in jeopardy
The 39-year-old struggled immensely throughout the contest. He finished the game with just 11 points, shooting 3/14 from the field and 3/6 from the foul line. It was his lowest field goal percentage since Halloween 2007.
NBA Analyst Kendrick Perkins spoke on James’ rough outing, noting, “Bron actually looks like he’s about to turn 40. Worst game that I’ve seen from him in a very long time.”
However, James cited illness as the cause of his struggles in his postgame interview. Speaking with a raspy voice, he noted that he’d been feeling under the weather since Friday.
James is coming off the heels of a 32-point triple-double and averaging 20 points with seven assists this season, leading the Lakers to a 3-1 record to start the season. If there’s anything that can be taken away from his storied career, it’s that he’ll more than likely return to form in the team’s next outing.