USA Today Sports

Triple-Double King Records First One in 450 Days

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Kenny Kluska | Last updated 4/10/24

Russell Westbrook is the king of the triple-double. There was a time in the point guard’s career when it was almost surprising if he didn’t finish the game with one. Westbrook and triple-doubles went together like peanut butter and jelly.

Now 35 years old, the days of Westbrook and triple-doubles were seemingly over, especially after joining the Los Angeles Clippers. That is until Tuesday night’s performance by Westbrook against the Phoenix Suns.

Triple-Double King Records First One in 450 Days

Westbrook Now has 199 Career Triple-Doubles

The Clippers easily took care of business against the Suns on Tuesday night. Los Angeles improved their record to 51-28 with their 105-92 victory. The final margin shows a closer game than it really was. The Clippers jumped out to a 35-4 lead, thoroughly embarrassing the Suns at the start.

It was a vintage performance of sorts for Westbrook. His final stat line consisted of 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists. He has extended his lead for the most triple-doubles in NBA history, now with 199.

Players with a 15/15/15 game this season:

Jokic
Luka

And now, Russell Westbrook. pic.twitter.com/H1tpLJQ2Ho

— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 10, 2024

Now in his 16th NBA season, Westbrook had been stuck on 198 career triple-doubles for quite some time. The nine-time All-Star’s last one was on January 15 2023, when he finished with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. There are 450 days in between the two triple-doubles, and Westbrook was still a member of the Los Angeles Lakers at the time.

Tuesday marked Westbrook’s first triple-double with the Clippers in the 88 regular season games he has played for them. While he still plays a valuable role for the team, he is averaging a career-low 22.7 minutes per game. Westbrook was able to receive more playing time on Tuesday due to both Kawhi Leonard and James Harden sitting out.

Averaged a Triple-Double in Three Different Seasons

The great Oscar Robertson was the first player to average a triple-double in a season. He finished the 1961-62 season averaging 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists.

Robertson was still the only one to accomplish the feat for 5.5 decades until Russell Westbrook was able to as well. Being named MVP in 2016-17 while playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Westbrook ended that season with averages of 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists.

The following season, Westbrook posted averages of 25.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 10.3 assists with the Thunder. Playing the 2020-21 season with the Washington Wizards, Westbrook averaged 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 11.7 assists.

Robertson and Westbrook remain the only two players to average a triple-double in a season.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: