It finally happened. The graphic that has been plastered across our screens for nearly two decades has been retired. On a cold December night in Toronto, LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, finished a game with just 8 points. The streak is over. For 1,297 consecutive regular-season games, LeBron James scored at least 10 points—a run of consistency that dates back to January 5, 2007.

The sports world immediately went into mourning. Tributes poured in, analysts somberly discussed the “end of an era,” and social media timelines were flooded with heartbreak emojis. But amidst the orchestrated sympathy, a different conversation began to bubble up from the corners of the basketball community that value truth over narrative.

The reality? This “historic” streak was never what they told you it was. In fact, for those who care about the integrity of competition and the pressure of the postseason, the streak has been a myth for years—a carefully curated statistic designed to prop up a legacy while hiding its most glaring flaws.

The “Regular Season” Shield

The devil, as they say, is in the details. Or in this case, the fine print. The streak that was celebrated as the ultimate symbol of durability and dominance came with a massive asterisk: Regular Season Only.

Why does this matter? because the NBA is defined by what happens in the postseason. Legends are made in May and June, not in a random Tuesday game against the Charlotte Hornets in November. Yet, for 18 years, the major networks and LeBron’s biggest defenders have pushed a narrative that implies he has never had an off night. They flash the number “1,297” on the screen with dramatic music, implying an Iron Man-level of invincibility.

But that number relies on a lie by omission. It requires you to ignore the games that actually matter.

If you remove the “regular season” filter and look at every time LeBron James laced up his sneakers for an NBA game, the picture changes drastically. The “streak” didn’t end in December 2025 against the Raptors. It ended on the biggest stage imaginable: The 2011 NBA Finals.

The Ghosts of Finals Past

Let’s rewind to the series that LeBron fans desperately try to scrub from history. Game 4, 2011 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. The pressure was suffocating, the lights were blinding, and the self-proclaimed “King” shrank. LeBron finished that game with a measly 8 points.

It wasn’t a typo. It wasn’t a glitch. The best player in the world, in the prime of his physical dominance, failed to reach double digits when his team needed him most. If the media were honest, the “streak” would have been reset to zero right then and there.

But it didn’t stop there. Fast forward to the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. Game 5. Another high-stakes battle. The result? LeBron James finished with just 7 points.

That’s two clear, undeniable breaks in the so-called “perfect” run. Yet, whenever the graphics popped up on ESPN or TNT, these games were magically erased. It’s a masterclass in selective memory. By filtering out the playoffs, the media created a safe space where LeBron’s failures didn’t count against his legacy. It turned “consistency” into a participation trophy where the difficult days simply didn’t make the grade.

The Real Standard: Michael Jordan

So, if we stop cherry-picking and count every game—regular season and playoffs—who actually stands at the top?

The answer, inevitably, brings us back to the ghost that LeBron has been chasing his entire career: Michael Jordan.

When you apply the “no filters, no excuses” standard, the real record belongs to His Airness. From 1986 all the way to 2001, Michael Jordan played 1,041 consecutive games (including playoffs) without scoring less than double digits. He didn’t need a “regular season only” qualifier to protect his legacy. When the playoffs started and the defenses got tighter, Jordan didn’t fold—he elevated.

Comparing LeBron’s 1,297 regular season games to Jordan’s all-encompassing dominance is like comparing a treadmill run to a marathon through the mountains. One is impressive in a controlled environment; the other is a test of will against the elements. Jordan’s streak survived the “Bad Boy” Pistons, the Knicks’ brutal defense, and six championship runs. LeBron’s streak survived… because the difficult games were excluded from the data set.

The “Unselfish” Defense

Now that the streak has officially ended with the 8-point outing against Toronto, the spin machine is already working overtime. The new narrative? “LeBron doesn’t care about stats. He made the right play.”

In the closing moments of the Raptors game, LeBron passed the ball to Rui Hachimura for the game-winning three. It was the correct basketball read. No one disputes that. But to claim that LeBron never cared about the streak is intellectual dishonesty.

We have watched this man for 23 years. We have seen the “stat hunting” in garbage time. We saw him in the games leading up to this moment—against Phoenix and others—forcing shots in the fourth quarter to ensure he hit that 10-point mark. In 2018, when he passed Jordan’s regular-season number, the game was stopped for a celebration. He didn’t wave it off; he soaked it in.

The “Make the Right Play” mantra has become a convenient shield. It’s a win-win for his legacy: if he shoots and scores, he’s the hero. If he passes and his teammate scores, he’s the “unselfish genius.” If he passes and his teammate misses, he “made the right read” and his teammate failed him. It removes accountability from the superstar and places it on the supporting cast.

The Rise of Real Streaks

While the world was fixated on preserving LeBron’s artificial record, other players have been putting up numbers that actually rival the game’s greats. Look at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City. He’s currently riding a streak of over 90 games with 20+ points—a streak that, unlike LeBron’s, includes the postseason. He is chasing numbers put up by Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson, doing it night in and night out against playoff defenses.

Or remember James Harden’s 2018 run of 32 straight games with 30+ points? That was raw offensive power. These are streaks that denote dominance, not just attendance.

Conclusion: The Truth Matters

LeBron James is undeniably one of the greatest to ever play the game. His longevity is unmatched, and his accumulated totals are staggering. But greatness does not need to be insulated by lies.

The 10-point streak was a marketing tool, a way to keep the content machine churning even when the on-court results weren’t resulting in championships. By finally snapping the streak in the regular season, the basketball gods have forced us to look at the naked truth.

The streak was impressive, yes. But it wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t unbroken. And it certainly wasn’t the standard of “Jordan-esque” inevitability that the media tried to sell us. The King has finally been proven human, and perhaps now, we can go back to appreciating basketball for what it is—without the filters.