Westbrook Extends Triple-Double Record
Russell Westbrook continues to re-write the NBA record books, notching his 208th career triple-double with 23 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds as the Sacramento Kings defeated the Chicago Bulls 126-110. Westbrook's all-around performance led the Kings to a comfortable win, and his triple-double mark remains a historic outlier among active and retired players.
For decades, Oscar Robertson's 181 career triple-doubles was a record many in the NBA thought to be unbreakable. Robertson was the first player to average a triple-double for an entire season in 1961-62, a feat that would not be repeated for 55 years. Russell Westbrook, however, has made the triple-double a signature statistic of the modern era. He is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season on four separate occasions. Westbrook surpassed Robertson's long-standing record on May 10, 2021, with his 182nd career triple-double. He also holds the record for the most triple-doubles in a single season, with 42 during his 2016-17 MVP campaign, breaking Oscar Robertson's previous mark of 41. The gap between Westbrook and his contemporaries is substantial. The next closest active player is Nikola Jokić, who recently passed Oscar Robertson for second place. Following Jokić are other active players like LeBron James and Luka Dončić, who remain significantly behind Westbrook's ever-growing total.
