Lebron's double-digit scoring streak ended last night. It was amazing, really -- almost 1300 games, which is like 450 more than the runner-up (MJ). The new highest current streak is Durant at ~230 games.
Lebron gets a lot of undeserved flak for his supposed selfishness. But he could have taken the last shot in regulation to continue his streak. Nobody would have faulted him for taking the last shot to win the game. Indeed, often the superstar players are expected to take the last shot.
But he didn't shoot. He drew the defense and passed to Hachimura -- who hit the game winning shot and Lebron got the game winning assist. I don't see that as an anomaly in any way. That's how Lebron has played basketball since his first year in the league. He plays to win -- unlike Kobe, who played to be the hero and winning was always second to his individual glory.
That's one subtle way he reshaped the game. Teams didn't used to look for their SF/PF to make plays for others. Then Lebron won that way and now we see offenses that run through the big men -- Jokic obviously, but also guys like Adebayo to a lesser extent. He was to passing big men what Curry was to three pointers.
People have accused me of riding Lebron's jock, but this is what I've always admired about him. He is a genuinely unselfish player on the court. I don't really care about off the court crap. It's mostly not observable, hard to impossible to verify, and of limited salience. He was the kid who watched MJ and took special note of the TWO finals winning shots that MJ created for other players. Yes, the dunks and the spectacular finishes and the post moves . . . but mostly the winning.
