Former All-Star Credits Russell Westbrook with Making Triple-Doubles Look 'Normal'

At one time, a player averaging a triple-double outside of the great Oscar Robertson seemed impossible. It was an accomplishment thought to never be reached again.

Russell Westbrook changed everything. He won the 2017 MVP race as part of the Oklahoma City Thunder after becoming the second player in league history to earn that feat, but the run didn't stop there. The guard has averaged a triple-double for four seasons in his Hall of Fame career, which actually could be an impossible feat for another player to live up to.

Because of the frequency, Westbrook has made the triple-double a less impressive stat, despite it being quite impressive. More players around the NBA are having those performances on the regular during the season, while he continues to accumulate them even at an older age.

Nikola Jokic averaged a triple-double just last season, but the conversation surrounding it was much different than when Westbrook won. It was less of a surprise and wasn't met with the same acclaim, nor did it help him in the MVP race. If it hadn't already been done recently, Jokic might've had more of a case against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

If Westbrook can be credited at all with changing the game of basketball, it has to be triple-doubles. No player will ever match his prowess in that stat, even if it becomes rather normalized in the average game.

“He made that look too normal,” Jeff Teague said on the Club 520 podcast. “I never even had one triple-double in my career. For somebody who did it every night, that’s crazy.”

"He did it so much people got used to it," Marquis Teague added. "Twenty dimes, twenty rebounds? That’s insane.”

Westbrook's days of averaging triple-doubles are far behind him. As of right now, the veteran has yet to be signed by a team for the 2025-26 season. The pace at which he played in his prime will never be seen again.

Still, the legacy of Westbrook will be pivotal in NBA history. He never earned an NBA championship and has bounced around the league in recent years, but few have been able to accumulate the same level of production as he once did. In Oklahoma City, he will forever remain a legend.

The Thunder isn't in a position to sign Westbrook now with how deep its roster construction is. But once he hangs up the jersey for good, the franchise will almost certainly sign him to a one-day contract.