There may be some criticisms of his game, but there is one thing that Russell Westbrook has done better than anyone in NBA history.
The Denver Nuggets guard became the first player to record 200 career triple-doubles on Tuesday, posting 12 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists in a 122-110 NBA Cup win over the Memphis Grizzlies. He got there just in time, pulling down his 10th rebound with 1:17 left in the game.
Westbrook was already the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles, surpassing Oscar Robertson in 2021. His frequency has dropped since then, correlating with his transition from ball-dominant point guard to bench player. Tuesday was just his second since being traded by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2022-23 season, and his first with the Nuggets.
However, Westbrook now has a lone occupation in an impressive club, although he may have company in a few years, or more.
Who will join Russell Westbrook in the 200 triple-double club?
The closest active player to Westbrook on the NBA’s all-time leaderboard is Nikola Jokić with 136. To reach 200 in his career, Jokić only needs to repeat the production of his previous three seasons, in which he recorded 73 across 222 games.
That seems very doable, as the reigning MVP shows no signs of slowing down. He already has six triple-doubles this season and entered Tuesday leading the NBA in both rebounds (13.7) and assists (11.7) per game. He sat out his third straight game Tuesday for personal reasons that likely had something to do with Westbrook’s historic night.
Luka Dončić also looks set to join Westbrook by the time his career ends, with 77 triples to his name at just 25 years old. Replicating his production over the next 10 years would be difficult for any player, but the length of the runway is more important than anything.
Despite the triple-double, Westbrook’s most notable moment of the night may have been his technical foul.
Late in the third quarter, Westbrook drove past Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama, stared at him for about a second and began running to the other end of the court. He stood up to T for that, somehow.
You can only imagine what the NBA would look like if every player was held to that standard. Obviously, it didn’t trip Westbrook too much.
