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All posts by Andrew MorganA triple double in basketball is related to measuring player performance. A triple-double is achieved when a player records 10 or more points in three of five statistical categories. The categories are points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. If a player achieves a triple-double they most likely stood out as one of the best players on the court.
There is no agreed consensus on the origin of the term. However, it has been attributed to a press relations director for the Los Angeles Lakers. Bruce Jolesch reportedly used the term to highlight Magic Johnson’s versatility.
How To Score A Triple Double
A triple-double is when a player records 10 or more points in three of the five aforementioned statistical categories. In most cases, the highest stat is usually the number of points scored.
There are a few ways of achieving a triple-double, but the most common way is through points, rebounds, and assists. You can also achieve it by making blocks and stealing the ball.
The players who most often achieve this statistical phenomenon are the most versatile players. You need to be good at multiple aspects of the game to record at least 10 points in three statistical categories.
Triple Double vs Double Double
A triple-double is when a basketball player scores at least 10 points in three statistical categories. These are points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. In contrast, a double-double is when a basketball player scores at least 10 points in two statistical categories.
There were 2,162 double-doubles in the 2022-23 NBA season, whereas there were only 119 triple-doubles. This demonstrates that the latter is far harder to achieve than the former.
What is a 40-Point Triple Double?
A 40-point triple-double is a triple-double with 40 scored points and at least 10 points in two other NBA statistical categories.
Just 28 players in the history of the NBA have achieved a 40-point triple-double. Only nine players have achieved it three or more times. The only current players to have more than three 40-point triple-doubles are LeBron James and Luka Dončic. The latter has recently surpassed Wilt Chamberlain on the number of career 40-point triple-doubles.
Is The Triple Double More Common Now?
The top 10 list of career triple-doubles in the NBA is split 50/50. There are five players currently playing and five players who have retired.
Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson are the only two players who retired before the 1990s in the top 10. The other retired players in the top 10 are some of the greatest players to ever play the sport. They are Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd, and Larry Bird. These facts suggest that there are more triple-doubles in the modern game than in the past.
There are a few reasons why this might be the case. One that stands out is the pace of play in the modern game. The turnover of play is much quicker, and teams generally play basket-to-basket from the word go. It is only towards the end of the match when you want to preserve your possession of the ball that you might stop trying to score as often.
Another significant contribution to the number of triple-doubles is the free-flowing nature of modern NBA formations. These days players are expected to be more versatile and cover more areas of the court. As opposed to designating the big players to wait for rebounds, anybody could be aiming for them. Also, the fact that teams shoot for three-pointers more and from further out means shorter players have more chance of getting rebounds.
Triple Double Stats In NBA
A triple-double is achieved when an NBA player achieves 10 or more points in three of the five statistical categories. A player can achieve this more than once in their career. Some players have managed to do this a significant number of times.
Nikola Jokić, a current player for the Denver Nuggets, has achieved the fastest triple-double of any player in NBA history. He managed to acquire 10+ points in three statistical categories in 14 minutes and 33 seconds. He currently has 126 career triple-doubles across 658 NBA games played since 2015.
Luka Dončić, who plays for the Dallas Mavericks, has 72 triple-doubles across 386 games since 2018. He is most notable in this arena for recently surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s career number of 40-point triple-doubles. He also has the quickest 30-point triple-double of all time. He recorded 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in 25 minutes and 30 seconds.
Arguably the most famous player, Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, has had 110 triple-doubles in 1,478 games since 2003. Twenty-two of these came in playoff matches.
Russell Westbrook, point guard for the Los Angeles Clippers, is the current leader in all-time triple-doubles. He has achieved 198 triple-doubles in 1,152 matches since 2008.
Westbrook and Oscar Robertson are the only players to have a season-average triple-double. Oscar Robertson played for the Cincinnati Royals in the 1960s and spent four years with the Milwaukee Bucks from 1970-74. He is the second all-time triple-double achiever. He recorded 181 triple-doubles in 1,040 games in 14 years in the NBA.
Magic Johnson has the record for most triple-doubles when it comes to crunch time. He has recorded 30 triple-doubles in playoff and championship games. He sits third on the all-time list with 138 triple-doubles in 906 games, predominantly from 1979-91. Johnson actually achieved 137 in that time but managed a final triple-double when he returned for the Lakers in 1996. This was after battling HIV and competing with the Dream Team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
James Harden, the current Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard, is eighth on the all-time list. He has recorded 76 triple-doubles across 1,058 matches since 2009. He is notable for recording the first 60-point triple-double. In 2018, while playing for the Houston Rockets, he recorded 60 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 107-114 victory over Orlando Magic. Dončić has since recorded a 60-point triple-double too.
Conclusion
Triple-doubles are a performance indicator for a single game. A triple-double is recorded when a player scores double-digit points across three of five statistical measures. It can be 10 or more points, rebounds, assists, steals, and/or blocks as long as the numbers are in double digits. They have become more common in the modern-day NBA game partly due to the increased pace of matches.
A quadruple-double or even a quintuple-double is possible. The latter has not yet occurred in the NBA. Four players have hit the quadruple-double in NBA history.
Most commonly, players achieve the feat by scoring 10 or more points and making 10 or more rebounds and assists. Only the highest achievers manage to record more than one 40-point triple-double although there have been 50-point and 60-point triple-doubles too.
Triple Double FAQs
What is a triple-double?
How does a triple double compare to a double double?
Is there a quadruple double?
Which player holds the record for triple doubles?
What is a 40 point triple double in basketball?
