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LeBron James’ Unlikely Off Night: the Game No One Remembers & The Streak That Endures
On December 4, 2025, in Toronto, LeBron James’ remarkable streak of scoring in double figures ended at 1,297 consecutive games. But the story behind the longevity of this achievement, and the one game where it almost faltered, reveals a fascinating glimpse into the career of a basketball icon. While James is renowned for his photographic memory of on-court moments, he surprisingly admitted he had no recollection of the game where his streak nearly ended – a January 5, 2007, contest against the Milwaukee Bucks during his fourth NBA season.
The game, a 95-86 Cleveland Cavaliers road victory, saw James contribute nine assists and five rebounds, but struggle from the field, shooting 3-for-13 and finishing with just eight points. It’s a game largely forgotten by those involved, yet it serves as a unique footnote in a career defined by consistency. “Really?” James told ESPN when asked about the milestone he’d reached. “I don’t remember it.”
The obscurity of that night in Milwaukee is shared by many who were there. Donyell Marshall, a forward on that 2006-07 Cavaliers team and now an assistant coach with the G League’s Greensboro Swarm, confessed, “When I went to look at the box score I was like, ‘Well, maybe I had a good game.’ Then I looked at the box score and I was like, ‘Well, I didn’t do anything either.'” Drew Gooden,a former Cavaliers forward now an analyst for Washington wizards broadcasts,echoed that sentiment,stating,”If you’d asked me,’Do you remember having 30-plus and LeBron being in single digits?’ I would have expected to have some kind of memory of it.”
However, one person vividly recalled the game: then-Bucks coach Terry Stotts. “I’ll be honest, I remember that game distinctly — and not because LeBron didn’t score 10,” Stotts told ESPN. The game’s impact extended beyond a mere statistical anomaly. A seemingly innocuous dunk by Michael Redd in the final seconds of the Cleveland victory ultimately led to a knee injury that sidelined him for 20 games, contributing to a disastrous 3-17 stretch for Milwaukee and, eventually, Stotts’ firing just over two months later. He would later find success as the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers for nine years.
While the game proved consequential for the Bucks, for the Cavaliers it was simply another step on their path to an NBA Finals appearance against the San Antonio Spurs. The enduring memory of playing alongside James, however, remains strong for his former teammates. Gooden remarked, “I’m amazed by how much he keeps developing and growing and figuring things out, all with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’s a real life superhero,who is always available.”
Marshall highlighted James’ dedication to the game, even at a young age. “I played with a lot of superstars, but never one who studied the game from the age he was at the time,” Marshall said. “As soon as the game was over, he wanted [to watch] film. To me, a lot of guys today aren’t necessarily students of the game. A lot of guys didn’t know the players that played before him, that paved the way for him. He’s a guy, though, that knows Oscar Robertson’s stats. He knows Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar’s] stats. He
