The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season, despite superstar forward LeBron James missing significant time at the start of the campaign. On Thursday night, the Lakers had to make due without their other superstar, Luka Doncic, as he missed Los Angeles’ game against the Raptors due to personal reasons.
Many expected a big night for James in Doncic’s absence, and while he delivered that, it came in a rather roundabout way. James, the league’s all-time leading scorer, entered the game with a streak of 1,297 consecutive double-digit regular-season scoring efforts.
He was at 8 points with the ball and his hands and time expiring, meaning he could go for the game-winning shot, which would extend the shrink with a make or guarantee overtime with a miss, where he’d probably get another basket.
Instead, he passed the ball to a wide-open Rui Hachimura in the corner, who hit a game-winning three-pointer. James was asked after the game if he had any particular feelings or thoughts about his streak coming to an end.
“None,” he said, according to ESPN. “We won.”
“Just playing the game the right way. You always make the right play,” James said. “That’s just been my M.O. That’s how I was taught the game. I’ve done that my whole career.”
“LeBron is acutely aware of how many points he has at that point,” head coach JJ Redick said. “He did it like he’s done so many times.”
“I always just make the right play. That’s automatic, win, lose or draw,” James said. “You make the right play — the game gods are always giving back to me.”
It’ll be interesting to see if those game gods reward James with one more shot at an NBA title before he hangs up his Nikes for good.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.