Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

LeBron James' 17-year streak nearly ends against Suns

By Sai Mohan | Last updated Oct 29, 2024 4:57 PM ET

The last time LeBron James didn't score double digits in an NBA game, George W. Bush was POTUS, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry hadn't entered the NBA and South Sudan wasn't a sovereign nation.

That 17-year streak — which began on Jan. 6, 2007, against the Nets — was in danger of ending Monday night when James' Lakers traveled to play the Suns. James had only four points with 2:45 left in the third quarter and added three more before being benched with 7:16 left in the fourth.

When James checked back in with 5:09 left in the fourth, he was 2-of-12 from the field with seven points. He was in a race against time. With 4:47 left, he would brick another three, his 13th miss of the night. Finally, with 1:58 left, he would connect from deep to reach the double-digit threshold. He'd make another free throw to end with 11 points.

While James did keep "the streak" alive, his 3-of-14 from the field marked his worst shooting game since the Jan. 5, 2007 game against the Bucks, which was incidentally the last time he didn't score in double digits. On that night, James went 3-of-13 from the floor for eight points.

The streak is alive. pic.twitter.com/bo8kQGY45M
— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 29, 2024

LeBron James shot his lowest field goal percentage in a regular season game since 2007 pic.twitter.com/Q5T7ZmvyOJ
— ESPN (@espn) October 29, 2024

If you're a Lakers fan, there's much to be optimistic about despite the team's 109-105 loss on Monday. JJ Redick's team hung in with the Suns on the road, withstanding a historically bad shooting night for James, and it speaks volumes of the team's budding chemistry.

Anthony Davis (29 points, 15 rebounds, three blocks), Rui Hachimura (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Austin Reaves (23 points, eight rebounds, three assists) all scored over 20 points, and D'Angelo Russell dropped eight dimes to go with his 14 points. The Lakers got only eight points from their bench, but Gabe Vincent and Max Christie provided a lot of energy, especially on the defensive end.

The Lakers are on an 11-day road trip that includes Phoenix, Cleveland, Toronto, Detroit and Memphis stops. After dropping the game to Phoenix, they next face the Cavaliers on Wednesday in what will be a homecoming game for James and his son, Bronny.

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

More must-reads: