Seventeen seasons after Russell Westbrook notched his first career triple-double, the future Hall of Famer tallied his 200th. With a 12-point, 14-assists, 10-rebound performance in the Denver Nuggets’ win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, Westbrook became the first player in NBA history to reach the milestone.
The guard has played a predominantly bench role in his first year with the Nuggets, averaging a career-low 10.7 points per game, but proved on nights like Tuesday that he can still fill up the stat sheet like he did in his prime.
Russ to Zeke for the oop! pic.twitter.com/LzUj6hm3DJ
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) November 20, 2024
History made pic.twitter.com/0BUWc5k53F
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) November 20, 2024
Tuesday’s triple-double was his first of the 2024-25 season and his first since April 10, 2024, which marked his only triple-double last season. Westbrook surpassed Oscar Robertson’s NBA record of 181 triple-doubles in May 2021 and topped Robertson’s single-season triple-double record with 42 in 2016-17.
Westbrook holds three of the top four spots in NBA history for most triple-doubles in a single season.
“I’m truly grateful just to go out and play and (be) given every opportunity that God has blessed me with,” Westbrook said. “I’m grateful for so many things, and especially for tonight.”
Behind Westbrook and Robertson, Magic Johnson ranks third with 138 career triple-doubles, followed by Westbrook’s teammate Nikola Jokić with 136.
Westbrook, 36, is not the first late-career star to make triple-double news this season, as LeBron James, 39, made history last week by becoming the oldest player in NBA history to tally three consecutive triple-doubles. James, who turns 40 in late December, trails only Karl Malone for oldest player with a triple-double. Malone pulled off the feat at 40 years, 127 days old with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2003.
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(Photo: Joe Murphy / NBAE via Getty Images)
