Who has the most triple doubles in nba history? On Nov. 12, 2023, Jokic led the Nuggets to a victory over the Pelicans with 35 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, marking his third triple-double of the 2023-24 season and the 108th in his career.
Jokic broke a three-way tie with Jason Kidd and LeBron James in the process to move into fourth place on the NBA’s all-time triple-double leaderboard. He has since added to his tally, further closing in on the all-time leaders.
Only Westbrook, Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson are now ahead of the two-time MVP.
What is a triple-double?
A triple-double is achieved when a player logs 10 or more of three statistical categories, not including turnovers.
For example, in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals, Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets to victory with 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds, giving him a triple-double. Had he grabbed nine rebounds instead of 10, he would’ve missed out on a triple-double.
The most common triple-double is double-digit points, rebounds and assists. It’s happened several times, but it’s rare for players to record a triple-double with double-digit blocks or steals.
Who has the most triple-doubles in NBA history?
Nobody has recorded more regular-season triple-doubles in NBA history than Russell Westbrook (198). The player closest to him is Oscar Robertson, who recorded 181 triple-doubles in his Hall of Fame career.
Magic Johnson (138), Nikola Jokic (109), LeBron James (108) and Jason Kidd (107) join Westbrook and Robertson as the only players who have recorded 100 or more triple-doubles in their careers. The two other active players in the top 10 on the all-time leaderboard are James Harden (74) and Luka Doncic (58).
Has anyone ever averaged a triple-double?
There have been five instances when a player has averaged a triple-double over an entire NBA season.
Oscar Robertson was the first to do it when he averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists per game in the 1961-62 season. More than 50 years later, Russell Westbrook joined him in the history books when he averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game in the 2016-17 season.
Westbrook recorded 42 triple-doubles that season, breaking Robertson’s record for most in a single season.
Westbrook has since accomplished the rare feat three more times, making him the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double in multiple seasons.
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic came close to averaging a triple-double in the 2022-23 season when he posted 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game. Magic Johnson is the only other player to flirt with averaging a triple-double.
What is a triple-double?
A triple-double occurs when a player tallies at least 10 of three different statistical categories during a basketball game. Most commonly, players get a triple-double through points, rebounds and assists.
Occasionally (but rarely) triple-doubles are accomplished through the other statistical categories, like steals and blocks.
Triple-doubles are not measured through game performance percentages or turnovers in a game. Turnovers refer to a player losing possession of the ball to the opposing team. For example, if a player were to have 12 turnovers in a game, that means that the player lost possession of the ball 12 times.
Most triple-doubles in NBA history
Russel Westbrook of the Los Angeles Clippers currently holds the record for the most triple-doubles in NBA history. Westbrook has accumulated 198 triple-double during his 15-season career.
Triple-double leaders
Following Westbrook, only a few NBA players have achieved more than 100 triple-doubles over a career. Here is a list of the six NBA players who have accomplished more than 100 triple-doubles:
Russell Westbrook (Los Angeles Clippers) – 198
Westbrook holds the record for the most triple-doubles in NBA history. In 2021, when he played for the Washington Wizards, Westbrook tied Oscar Robertson’s 181 record during a game against the Indiana Pacers. Since then, Westbrook moved on to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2021-22 season where he recorded his latest triple-double. Mid-2022 season, Westbrook was traded to the Utah Jazz and then immediately bought out, making him a free agent. During his free agency, he signed for half a season with the Los Angeles Clippers. This off-season, he signed a two-year deal with the Clippers.
Oscar Robertson (Milwaukee Bucks) – 181
Oscar Robertson held the record for career triple-doubles for 47 years. During his final season with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1974, Robertson scored 14 points, made 10 rebounds and completed 10 assists against the Portland Trailblazers, marking his 181st triple-double. The same year, he retired from the NBA with a total of 26,710 points, 7,804 rebounds and 9,887 assists. His record stood until Westbrook broke it and recorded his 182nd triple-double in 2021.
Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Lakers) – 138
Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. was the first overall pick in the 1979 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. His professional career cemented him as one of the best point guards in NBA history. He holds the team record for most career triple-doubles alongside his long list of acclamations including five NBA championship rings.
Jason Kidd (New York Knicks) – 107
Jason Kidd was selected as the second pick in the 1994 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks. After several trades and deals throughout his career playing for the Phoenix Suns, New Jersey Nets and back to the Mavericks, Kidd racked up a total of 107 triple-doubles by the time he ended his playing career with the New York Knicks in 2012. He retired after one season with the Knicks and became the head coach of the Nets. After one season with the Knicks, he moved on to coach the Milwaukee Bucks until he was fired in the middle of the 2017-18 season. In 2021 he became the Mavericks’ current head coach.
LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) – 107
LeBron James was selected number one overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA Draft. He was awarded Rookie of the Year after his first season, the youngest player to ever receive the award. He spent the first 7 years of his career with the Cavs and joined the Miami Heat in the 2010-11 season after his free agency, winning the team back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. After winning back-to-back rings, James returned to the Cavs in 2014. In 2016, and brought the team’s first championship win in 50 years. James joined the Lakers in 2018 and won another championship in 2020. In his 20-year career, James has made 107 triple-doubles and collected four NBA championship rings.
Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets) – 105
Nikola Jokić was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2014 NBA draft. He led the Nuggets to the Western Conference semifinals during the 2018-19 season and received All-Star honors. During the 2019-20 season, he led the team to the Western Conference Finals and was given All-Star honors, again. He brought the Nuggets their first NBA championship during the 2022-23 season and was awarded NBA Final MVP. He holds 105 triple-doubles under his belt and is acclaimed for recording the fastest triple-double in NBA history in 14 minutes and 33 seconds.
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