Russell Westbrook Becomes 1st Player in NBA History to Record 200 Triple-Doubles

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVNovember 20, 2024

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Future Hall of Famer Russell Westbrook added quite the accomplishment to his resume Tuesday.

The Denver Nuggets guard became the first player in NBA history to record 200 triple-doubles when he helped lead his team to a 122-110 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies with 12 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Bleacher Report @BleacherReportRUSS BECOMES THE FIRST PLAYER IN NBA HISTORY WITH 2⃣0⃣0⃣ TRIPLE-DOUBLES pic.twitter.com/TCq0c6kNs8

It was his first triple-double of the season, as he is coming off the bench and playing a smaller role than he did during his peak earlier in his career. However, Denver needed his production Tuesday to snap a two-game losing streak as it deals with some inconsistency to start the season.

Triple-doubles have become a calling card for the guard, as he became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for an entire season during the 2016-17 campaign. That earned him league MVP, but he wasn’t done as he averaged a triple-double during the 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons as well.

His 200 triple-doubles are 19 ahead of Robertson’s 181 and 62 ahead of Magic Johnson’s 138.

Westbrook’s own teammate may be the only threat to catch his 200 triple-doubles, as Nikola Jokić is fourth on the all-time list with 136. The three-time MVP is just 29 years old and a threat to post a triple-double every time he steps on the floor, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see him threaten the 200 mark later in his career.

For now, though, Westbrook stands alone as the triple-double king.

His resume includes two scoring titles, three assist titles, nine All-NBA selections, nine All-Star nods and a spot on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. He is one of the most impactful guards of his generation, and his ability to impact the game in so many ways largely made him unstoppable for much of his career.

While he has taken a step back since his days of dominance on the Oklahoma City Thunder, he proved Tuesday he can still do what he is best known for on the floor.