LeBron and the tale of the eight points: ‘I will be sharing this box score with my son’

Editor’s note: This article was first published on Jan. 25, 2023. On Dec. 4, 2025, in Toronto, James’ streak of scoring in double digits was halted after 1,297 games, a streak that started over 18 years ago.

LEBRON JAMES IS famously recognized for his remarkable ability to remember specific events throughout his basketball career, regardless of whether they happened moments or years ago.

However, when questioned earlier this week about the milestone he accomplished Thursday — maintaining a streak of 16 years and 1,125 regular-season games without dropping below 10 points — James appeared baffled.

«Really?» he responded to ESPN. «I don’t recall that.»

It seems James isn’t the only one.

The game that seems to have slipped everyone’s mind? It occurred on Jan. 5, 2007, during a Cleveland Cavaliers‘ 95-86 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks in James’ fourth NBA season.

James’ performance: nine assists, five rebounds, shooting 3-for-13 in 43 minutes.

And he scored eight points.

«When I checked the box score I thought, ‘Well, maybe I had a good game,'» said Donyell Marshall, currently an assistant with the G League’s Greensboro Swarm and a forward on the 2006-07 Cavaliers team, to ESPN. «Then I viewed the box score and realized, ‘Well, I didn’t do much either.'»

«If someone asked me, ‘Do you remember scoring 30-plus and LeBron being in single digits?’ I would have anticipated having some recollection of it,» Drew Gooden, a former Cavaliers forward now analyzing for Washington Wizards broadcasts, shared with a chuckle.

However, one individual who remembered that game distinctly was then-Bucks coach Terry Stotts.

«Honestly, I recall that game vividly — and it’s not just due to LeBron scoring below 10,» Stotts revealed to ESPN.

The final play of that Cavaliers win — a dunk by Michael Redd with 14.8 seconds remaining — ultimately marked the decline of Stotts’ time in Milwaukee.

«Michael had a dunk in the dying seconds,» Stotts recounted. «A meaningless dunk. We were down nine.

«[But] he jumped to dunk, and he injured his knee, missing the next 20 games. … We went 3-17.»

Shortly thereafter, Stotts was dismissed after Milwaukee entered that Cavaliers game with a .500 record, having won seven of their previous nine games. He would later enjoy a successful nine-year stint as coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Though the game held significant ramifications for the Bucks, for Cleveland, it was merely another step toward a highly successful season culminating in an NBA Finals defeat to the San Antonio Spurs.

While James’ former teammates couldn’t recall much of that random January affair 16 years ago, their memories of sharing the court with him remain vivid.

«I’m amazed at how he continuously evolves and learns, all while carrying immense pressure,» Gooden remarked.

«He’s a genuine superhero, who is always present.»

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FOR MARSHALL, WHO spent parts of three seasons alongside James during a career that spanned eight teams, his lasting impression of James was of someone committed to both growth and understanding basketball history from an early age.

«I played with many stars, but none who studied the game as he did from such a young age,» Marshall explained. «Right after games, he wanted to watch film.

«To me, many players today aren’t necessarily students of the game. A lot don’t recognize the players who came before them and paved the way. But he’s a guy who knows Oscar Robertson’s and Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar’s] statistics. He knows Wilt Chamberlain‘s statistics.»

Gooden, in contrast, remarked that what struck him was how James, throughout his life under basketball scrutiny since his teenage years at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio, has consistently risen to the challenges presented to him.

«Just him always figuring things out,» Gooden remarked. «His ability to perform under pressure has been evident. Knowing him since he was 15 offers a different viewpoint after more than 26 years. …

«He had this Nike campaign about how we were witnesses to his greatness. Well, we have all witnessed it. It’s just that.».

To contextualize James’ streak: Marshall participated in 957 games across 15 NBA seasons. Gooden, on the other hand, played 790 games over 14 years in the league — both significantly exceeding the typical length of an NBA player’s career.

«It’s truly more shocking that he ever scored below 10 points than claiming he hasn’t done so in 16 years,» Marshall remarked. «At the start of your career, especially as a rookie, you’ll have games where you might not surpass 10 points. But considering his greatness and all he has accomplished, I would say it’s more surprising that he had a game with under 10 points than the longevity of the streak.»

For former Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson, however, his experience as a rookie during that season stands out. When reflecting on playing with James, Gibson instantly remembered his pre-draft workout before the 2006 draft, in which he was selected by Cleveland as the 42nd pick overall.

«I had a dismal workout in Houston, and Cleveland was my second workout,» said Gibson, now an assistant coach with the G League’s Cleveland Charge, to ESPN. «And [LeBron] was present, and I performed exceptionally well.

«Afterward, he approached me, and it instantly boosted my confidence. Given he’s LeBron James, you’re just hoping for a chance to make the roster — much less him saying he’d love for me to join if I was still available.

«He gave me immense confidence and that set the tone for my impression of him from day one at the Cavs; to me, he was the best player in the world, always the first one in the gym and the last to leave.»

«Initially I thought, ‘That’s just another one of those records that’s sort of fabricated,’ but I later realized it’s genuine. It’s a legitimate record.»

LeBron James, on his streak of 1,125 regular-season games with at least 10 points

James noted he doesn’t pay much mind to the regular-season scoring streak, saying he only acknowledges it when it appears on his social media or is discussed in the media.

Furthermore, he emphasized that during halftime box score checks, his total points are not a focal point.

«I notice it,» James stated, «but I primarily focus on team turnovers, the opposing team’s points from turnovers, fast-break points scored by opponents, my personal turnovers.

«That’s pretty much it. I don’t concentrate on total points overly much.»

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THE CLOSEST JAMES came to snapping the streak happened on March 20, 2021, when he collapsed in pain and frustration after twisting his ankle following a landing on Atlanta Hawks forward Solomon Hill.

For a moment, it appeared he might not continue playing. However, he managed to remain long enough to sink a 3-pointer to reach 10 points before taking a timeout and exiting the game.

That encounter would mark the conclusion of James’ play for over a month, although he claimed he was unaware of the significance of his 3-pointer at that moment.

«Not until after the game,» James recounted.

Another significant occurrence during the streak took place in the 2017-18 regular-season finale against the New York Knicks, where James, aiming to play all 82 games, abruptly departed the game after achieving exactly 10 points in 11 minutes.

Although James’ streak of double-digit scoring has gained greater significance over time — especially after he eclipsed Michael Jordan’s previous record of 866 consecutive regular season games during a March 30, 2018, victory against the New Orleans Pelicans — it was never a goal he set out to achieve.

«I thought, ‘Oh, that’s interesting,'» James noted, reflecting on surpassing Jordan. «Initially, I thought, ‘That’s just another fictitious record,’ but I later understood it’s valid. It’s a real record. But, I don’t know. I just play.

«It’s similar with the all-time scoring record when I reach it. I never even [set it as a goal] … It’s pretty remarkable. I can’t say, ‘Oh, it’s meaningless.’ Because it does have significance. Yet I didn’t set out to do it. I didn’t.»

Regardless of whether James intended to achieve it, 16 years later he continues to do so, steadily nearing a break of Abdul-Jabbar’s once seemingly unbreakable record as the all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points.

For Gooden, it serves as a chance to demonstrate to his 10-year-old son, Drew Gooden IV, that his father possesses knowledge about playing with one of the all-time greats.

«I will definitely show my son this box score,» Gooden said with a laugh, noting that his son frequently inquires about James.

«He’ll ask me, ‘Did you talk to LeBron? Did you know it’s his birthday?'» Gooden said. «He’s a massive LeBron fan, and he’s reaching the age where he begins to recognize it’s the truth, given there’s evidence to support it.

«There are memorable nights I shared with him. But I never imagined there would be a historic night where he scored in single digits while I recorded 31 points.»