Russell Westbrook is called by many ‘Mr. Triple-Double” for a reason. He averaged double figures in points, rebounds and assists per game from 2016-17 through 2018-19 and added another during the 2021-22 season. Before him, only the legendary Oscar Robertson achieved the same feat in a single season. The “Big O” had 30.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG and 11.4 APG during the 1961-62 campaign with the Cincinnati Royals.
Westbrook, who now plays for the LA Clippers, is also the career leader in that category. After last season, he has 198. Robertson has 181, Magic Johnson has 138 and LeBron James, the closest active player to him, has 107.
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The former OKC Thunder superstar also has the most triple-doubles in a single season, with 42 coming during his 2016-17 MVP campaign. He broke Robertson’s 55-year record of 41. Westbrook owns three of the top five numbers in that category for a single season.
Russell Westbrook might also have made it five straight seasons averaging a triple-double. Had he not been alongside James Harden during his one-year stay with the Houston Rockets, he could have accomplished this stunning feat.
Harden and Westbrook were former teammates at Oklahoma, but during their time in Houston, the Rockets were unquestionably “The Beard’s” team. Despite sharing ball-handling duties with Harden, “Brodie” still averaged 27.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 7.0 APG.
Like Russell Westbrook, Oscar Robertson also had several seasons where he almost had a triple-double. In the iconic point guard’s rookie year, he posted 30.5 PPG, 10.1 RPG and 9.7 APG. Robertson averaged 30.2 PPG, 10.7 RPG and 10.4 APG in his first five NBA seasons.
Nikola Jokic could be the next triple-double machine after Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook plays again with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. He remains the Clippers’ playmaker, but he will also have to relinquish control of the game to the two superstars. For that reason alone, his triple-double chances won’t be that many.
Nikola Jokic, on the other hand, will be the focal point of the Denver Nuggets on offense. Last season he averaged 24.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG and 9.8 APG. “The Joker” could have accomplished that feat by joining Westbrook and Oscar Robertson, but didn’t seem interested.
The Serbian could be even better next season, which will be a scary proposition for Nuggets’ opponents. Jokic now has 105 triple-doubles in eight seasons, just two behind LeBron James, who is entering his 21st year in the NBA.
The 2023 NBA Finals MVP finished last season with 29 triple-doubles, two more than runner-up Domantas Sabonis, who had 14. Nikola Jokic may not average a triple-double for a season, but he looks like Russell Westbrook’s heir apparent. .