LeBron James’ remarkable stretch of 1,297 consecutive games scoring at least 10 points came to an end Thursday night in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 123-120 win over the Toronto Raptors. For some perspective on how impressive James’ feat was, the next closest in NBA history is Michael Jordan’s 866 straight games in double digits. The active player who now has the most consecutive double-digit scoring contests is Kevin Durant with 267 consecutive games, who would need about 12 full seasons to surpass LeBron.
James’ streak began on Jan. 6, 2007. George W. Bush was president. Bronny James was 2 and Cooper Flagg had been alive for two weeks. The release of Apple’s first iPhone was still more than six months away. In his career, James has more NBA Finals appearances (10) than single-digit games (9). The conclusion of his double-digit streak prompts the question: What are some of the most impressive active streaks in sports?
1. Mikal Bridges’ consecutive games streak
The 29-year-old New York Knicks forward is an iron man. He has played 577 consecutive games since entering the NBA in 2018, the third-longest streak to begin a career in NBA history. It is also tied for the 12th-longest games played streak ever. In his three seasons at Villanova, Bridges also played all 116 Wildcats games. He has averaged at least 17 points per game in the last four seasons and has shot 48.6 percent from the field for his career.
2. Denver Broncos sellouts
The Broncos have sold out their stadium for every game since 1970. It is a stretch of 447 games spanning two stadiums. Denver called the old Mile High Stadium home until 2001, when Empower Field at Mile High opened to replace it. The 55-year sellout streak is the longest active streak for an NFL team that has stayed in one city. With the Broncos at 10-2 this season and a bright future ahead, the sellout streak isn’t likely to come to an end anytime soon.
3. Mount Union regular-season win mark
Probably least known streak on this list is arguably the most impressive. The D-III Mount Union Purple Raiders have won 85 straight regular-season football games, the longest win streak across all NCAA divisions. No other team has even won 60 in a row. Mount Union hasn’t lost a regular-season game since 2005, and has fallen in just two regular-season matchups since 1985.
Since 1993, the Purple Raiders have claimed 13 national championships. The program has won 36 conference titles and made 36 subsequent appearances in the D-III playoffs. Mount Union faces John Carroll in the round of 16 Saturday afternoon, as the team pursues its first national title since 2017.
4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s consecutive 20+ point performances
An NBA MVP, Finals MVP, and three-time All-NBA First Team performer at age 27, Gilgeous-Alexander has already racked up the accolades in his career. He has also built a reputation for consistency, averaging over 30 points per game in the last four seasons.
With a 38-point outing in a win over the Golden State Warriors Tuesday, SGA extended his streak of 20+ point games to 94. In NBA history, he trails only the otherworldly Wilt Chamberlain , who had 126 straight 20-point contests from 1961 to 1963. We may very well see SGA break that record this season; the Thunder star is averaging 32.8 points per game.
5. Matt Olson’s 782 straight games
Cal Ripken Jr. is rightly famous for his seemingly unbreakable record of 2,632 consecutive games played, but Matt Olson has become the iron man of his own generation. The Atlanta Braves first baseman holds the longest active streak in MLB, having suited up for 782 straight games. His milestone stretches back to May 2, 2021, and ranks 12th in MLB history. If Olson manages to play all 162 games next season, he will move up to eighth. He has quietly put together a strong career. Olson is a three-time Gold Glove winner and three-time All-Star with 288 career home runs and 808 RBIs.
6. Toronto Maple Leafs’ Game 7 losses
Being a Maple Leafs fan requires a lot of patience, to say the least. Toronto had to wait 19 years between playoff series wins before breaking that streak in 2023. The Maple Leafs have suffered plenty of heartbreak along the way. Last season, they fell in Game 7 to the Florida Panthers, marking their seventh straight loss in that scenario. That matched an NHL record, which was oddly set earlier in the same postseason by the Colorado Avalanche. The difference is that Colorado overcame its playoff demons and won the Stanley Cup in 2022. The Maple Leafs have just two playoff series victories in 21 years, and last won it all in 1967. Ouch.
