Who’s Leading the NBA in Triple-Doubles?

The NBA season is in full swing and there are a few players leading the pack in triple-doubles. Who’s at the top of the list?

Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook is leading the NBA in triple-doubles this season. Westbrook, who is in his eighth season in the league, has tallied 22 triple-doubles so far. This puts him ahead of James Harden and LeBron James, who are both tied for second with 21 triple-doubles.

2017-2018 Season

Westbrook became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season twice, as he did so in 2016–17. He again led the league in scoring, averaging 31.6 points per game, and tallied 10.7 assists and 10.9 rebounds per game. He recorded nine triple-doubles, tying Magic Johnson’s record for most in a season since the 1986–87 campaign. Westbrook averaged a career-high 34.6 points, 10.7 assists and 10.8 rebounds per game in 2017–18, becoming only the second player ever to average a triple-double for an entire season multiple times ( Oscar Robertson is the other).

Career triple-doubles

Russell Westbrook currently leads the NBA in career triple-doubles, with a total of 42. He’s followed by Magic Johnson (34), Oscar Robertson (31), Jason Kidd (29), and LeBron James (23).

LeBron James

As of February 23, 2020, LeBron James is leading the NBA in triple-doubles with 12. He is followed by Nikola Jokic with 11 and Russell Westbrook with 10. A triple-double is defined as a player who reaches double figures in three of the five main statistical categories in a game. These categories are points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.

2017-2018 Season

LeBron James is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is often considered the best player in the world and regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. James has won three NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, three NBA Finals MVP Awards, two Olympic gold medals, an NBA scoring title, and the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He has also been selected to 13 NBA All-Star teams, 12 All-NBA teams, and six All-Defensive teams.

Career triple-doubles

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers is currently leading the NBA in career triple-doubles. He has 73 career triple-doubles, which is 10 more than Russell Westbrook of the Houston Rockets, who is in second place.

In a triple-double, a player must reach double digits in three of the five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. James has recorded at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 73 games throughout his NBA career.

The 36-year-old James is playing in his 18th season and shows no signs of slowing down. He’s averaging 25.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game this season. It’s conceivable that James could finish his career as the all-time leader in triple-doubles; he would need to average about seven triple-doubles per season over the next six years to pass Oscar Robertson, who holds the record with 181.

James Harden

James Harden is currently leading the NBA in triple-doubles this season. The Houston Rockets superstar has recorded an impressive 18 triple-doubles so far. This is a feat that only two other players have accomplished in the past. Harden is also having one of the best statistical seasons in recent memory.

2017-2018 Season

As of February 11, 2018, James Harden has the most triple-doubles in the NBA with 22. He is followed by Russell Westbrook with 21, and LeBron James with 11.

Career triple-doubles

In the National Basketball Association (NBA), a triple-double is recorded when a player accumulates a double-digit number total in three of five statistical categories—points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots—in a game. The most common way to achieve a triple-double is through points and rebounds; such as when Wilt Chamberlain during his 1961–62 season first achieved 42 points along with 21 rebounds, or Oscar Robertson during his 1961–62 season first achieved 30 points along with 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The term “triple-double” became popularized only after Chamberlain recorded seven triple-doubles during the 1967–68 NBA season. A triple-double is typically accomplished through superior individual play and is very difficult to achieve; so much so that there had only been two hundred and ninety-one recorded in NBA history through the end of the 2007–08 NBA season.

By comparison, in an average NBA game since the 1984–85 season, there have been approximately 2.3 players who scored 30 or more points, 5.8 players who collected 10 or more rebounds, and 6.5 players who registered 10 or more assists. Players who have achieved multiple triple-doubles have done it an average of 3 times throughout their careers (as of 2008).

Elgin Baylor holds the distinction of being the first player in NBA history to achieve a career quadruple-double averaging at least 10 points per game, 5 assists per game 5 steals per game and 5 rebounds per game over his 14 seasons in the league; although this was not accomplished until later in his career.(text from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple-double)

Other Notable Triple-Double Performers

This season, Russell Westbrook is leading the NBA in triple-doubles. As of February 17th, he has 27 triple-doubles. Other notable triple-double performers this season include James Harden, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis.

2017-2018 Season

In the 2017-2018 season, Russell Westbrook led the NBA in triple-doubles with 22. He was closely followed by LeBron James with 15, and then by Ben Simmons and Lonzo Ball tieing for third with 7 each.

Career triple-doubles

In the history of the NBA, there have only been 42 players who have recorded a career triple-double. A triple-double is defined as a player who accumulates a total of 10 or more in three of the five main statistical categories in a game. The 42 players are:

1.Oscar Robertson*
2.Magic Johnson*
3.Russell Westbrook*
4.LeBron James*
5.Jason Kidd*
6.Wilt Chamberlain*
7.Lamar Odom
8.Fat Lever
9.Nikola Jokic
10.David Robinson*
11.Hakeem Olajuwon*
12.Larry Bird*
13.Michael Jordan*
14.Draymond Green
15.James Harden*
16.Scottie Pippen*