In May 2021, point guard Russell Westbrook became the undisputed king of the triple-doubles. He scored his record-breaking 182nd triple-double in a tight 125-124 loss against the Atlanta Hawks. Westbrook scored his very first triple-double in March 2009 while playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He spent 11 years at the franchise before changing teams five times in six years, eventually joining the Sacramento Kings in 2025. As of April 2026, Westbrook had 209 triple-doubles to his name.

Who held the record before Westbrook?

Before Russell Westbrook smashed the record, Oscar Robertson, nicknamed ‘The Big O’, held the record for triple-doubles in the National Basketball Association. He racked up 181 triple-doubles during his playing career with the Cincinnati Royals (now playing as the Sacramento Kings) and the Milwaukee Bucks between 1960 and 1974.

What is a triple-double?

In the NBA, statistical categories are kept on a per game basis for each individual player, including points, rebounds, assists, and steals. When a player reaches a score of ten or more in at least three of these statistical categories in a game, he records a triple-double (e.g. 10 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds). All the players on the list with at least 100 triple-doubles in their career are versatile, strong, and athletic and can handle the ball on the offensive as well as the defensive end. This enables these players to score at a high level and assist on many other baskets. Their size and basketball smarts often also make them good rebounders.