California NBA legend, LeBron James, has done a lot of unbelievable things in his career, but ending an 18-year streak with eight points and a late-game assist might be one of the wildest plot twists yet. And depending on who you ask, it might also be the most expensive. Because somewhere out there, a very stunned fan is staring at a betting slip and saying the words no one ever expects to say about the greatest scorer of this generation: “I can officially say that LeBron owes me 15,000 dollars.“
California’s Los Angeles Lakers pulled off a dramatic win over the Toronto Raptors at Crypto.com Arena thanks to Rui Hachimura drilling a corner three at the buzzer, set up by a perfectly timed LeBron assist. Luka Doncic was out, back home in Slovenia for the birth of his second child, so everyone expected LeBron to unleash vintage scoring mode. Instead, NBA fans got something nobody saw coming. LeBron finished with eight points.
That’s 4-for-17 from the field, along with six rebounds and 11 assists. Not exactly the box score anyone expected from the guy who hadn’t dipped below 10 points since January 2007. For context, that was back when Twitter was basically a newborn, Bronny was two years old, and Cooper Flagg was literally 15 days old. JJ Redick, who is now retired and hasn’t played in five seasons, was a rookie the last time LeBron had a single-digit outing. So yeah, this wasn’t just a streak. This was a piece of sports history. And it’s now officially over at 18 years and 1,297 games. Enter the fan with the most chaotic wager of the night.
LeBron James Ends His Legendary 10+ Point Streak
After the game, social media exploded with reactions, but none louder than the guy who dropped a jaw-dropping $15,000 on LeBron simply scoring at least 10 points. The potential profit? A hilariously tiny $576.92. A bet that big for a return that small makes about as much sense as betting on a goldfish to win the Kentucky Derby, but hey, streaks make people feel invincible. However, a lot of fans were dragging the guy who placed the bet in the first place. “This guy lost a lot of money,” one pointed out via X. Another wrote, replied, “Yeah, betting on an old man.”
And he wasn’t entirely delusional. LeBron nearly snapped the streak twice already this season. He opened the year with just 11 points. He also had exactly 10 points against Phoenix, hanging around in a blowout just long enough for people to accuse him of stat-padding. NBA analysts were practically circling the number in red ink.
But this time, no amount of fourth-quarter minutes or forced drives to the rim was going to save it. His shot simply wasn’t falling. And instead of padding his streak or forcing a tough attempt at the buzzer, he made the right basketball play. He swung the ball to Hachimura, who buried the winner. Great for the Lakers. Less great for the guy out fifteen grand.
California’s LeBron James Seems Unfazed By His Streak Ending
Meanwhile, LeBron himself could not have cared less about the broken streak. When asked how he felt about it ending, he gave the coldest, most LeBron-on-a-mission answer possible. “None,” James replied. “We won.“
If you’re looking for drama, you won’t find it from him. What you will find, though, is a clear sign that he’s deep into his 23rd season. For the first time ever, there’s a real sense game-to-game that age is finally tapping him on the shoulder. That doesn’t mean he’s done. But it does mean moments like this are going to happen.
As for anyone chasing LeBron’s streak? Forget it. Kevin Durant is the next closest… at 267 games. He’d need to play nearly the next 12 straight seasons without missing a single game just to catch up. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sits at 140. Basically, no one is touching this. Which makes the whole thing even more unbelievable. Eighteen years of automatic double-digit scoring gone in a random regular-season game on a night when he couldn’t buy a bucket.
A historic run dies. The Lakers win anyway. And somewhere out there, one fan is refreshing his bank account, wondering why he bet $15K on something worth $576. If nothing else, he’ll forever have the funniest complaint in sports betting history: California’s LeBron James owes him 15,000 dollars.
