Triple-double

A triple-double is a basketball term, when defined as an individual performance in a game in which a player accumulates double-digit totals (i.e., 10 or more) in any three of these categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The most common way for a player to achieve a triple-double is with points, rebounds, and assists, though on occasion players may record 10 or more steals or blocked shots in a game. The term itself was coined by former Los Angeles public relations director, Bruce Jolesch.

A triple-double is seen as an indication of an excellent all-around individual performance. In the National Basketball Association (NBA), they are rare but not unheard-of, as the top players usually accumulate a little fewer than 10 in a season (out of a possible 82 games in the regular NBA season). At the collegiate level, however, they are exceptionally rare (though double-doubles are much more common). There are two reasons for this: the shot clock in men's college basketball is 35 seconds as opposed to 24 seconds in the NBA and college games last only 40 minutes instead of 48 in the NBA. Both timing issues considerably reduce the number of possessions in a game and thus the chances for amassing large numbers in any one statistic, much less all three. It should be noted that the criteria for an assist have been relaxed over time. Triple-doubles are also exceptionally rare in games contested under FIBA rules, in which games also run for 40 minutes (albeit with a 24-second clock like that in the NBA).

There has been occasional controversy surrounding triple doubles made when a player achieves the feat with a late rebound. Players on nine rebounds in a game have sometimes been accused of deliberately missing a shot late in the game in order to recover the rebound - a few have even gone so far as shooting off their opponent's basket trying to score a triple-double. To deter this, NBA rules allow rebounds to be nullified if the shot is determined not to be a bona fide scoring attempt, thus nullifying a triple-double achieved in this manner.

NBA triple-double facts

• Averaging a triple-double over an entire season: Oscar Robertson is the only player in NBA history to achieve this feat. During the 1961-1962 season, Robertson averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game
• All-time leader (regular season): Oscar Robertson is the all-time leader with 181.
• All-time leader (playoffs): Magic Johnson is the all-time leader with 30.
• Most triple-doubles in a single season: Oscar Robertson with 41 triple-doubles in one season during the 1961-62 NBA season. Wilt Chamberlain is in second place with 31 triple-doubles in the 1967-68 season.
• Youngest player: LeBron James, aged 20 years and 20 days, logged a triple-double on January 19, 2005, versus the Portland Trail Blazers. He had 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
• Oldest player: Karl Malone is the only 40-year-old player to do so, on November 28, 2003 with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists versus the San Antonio Spurs.
• Double-triple-double: this feat requires at least 20 of any 3 statistics. Wilt Chamberlain is the only player to have accomplished this; in a February 2, 1968 game, Chamberlain's statistics were 22 points, 25 rebounds, and 21 assists.
• Longest continuous streak: Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for the most consecutive triple-doubles. In 1968, from March 8 to March 20, he recorded a triple-double in nine straight games.
• Triple-doubles by teammates in one regular season game: This feat of athleticism and teamwork was accomplished only twice since 1986-1987, by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen (Chicago vs. L.A. Clippers) on January 3, 1989, and by Vince Carter and Jason Kidd (New Jersey vs. Washington) on April 7, 2007.
• Triple-doubles by opponents in a regular season game: This competitive spectacle occurred only six times since 1986-1987, four times involving Jason Kidd (while playing for three different teams). Kidd accomplished it with Clyde Drexler twice (Dallas at Houston, April 11, 1995 and Phoenix at Houston, March 22, 1997), with Jay Williams (New Jersey at Chicago, November 9, 2002), and with Tracy McGrady (New Jersey vs. Orlando, February 23, 2003). In addition, the feat was performed by Gary Payton and Chris Webber (Seattle at Sacramento, April 18, 2000), and by Caron Butler and Baron Davis (Washington vs. Golden State, November 23, 2007). Other instances might be found in older records, especially considering the many contests between great rivals like Russell-Chamberlain and Bird-Magic.

NBA all-time triple-double leaders

	Regular Season		Playoffs
Rank	Name	TD	Name	TD
1.	Oscar Robertson	181	Magic Johnson	30
2.	Magic Johnson	138	Jason Kidd	11
3.	Jason Kidd	102	Larry Bird	10
4.	Wilt Chamberlain	78	Wilt Chamberlain	9
5.	Larry Bird	59	Oscar Robertson	8
6.	Fat Lever	44	John Havlicek	5
7.	John Havlicek	30	Charles Barkley	4
8.	Grant Hill	29	Elgin Baylor	4
9.	Michael Jordan	28	Walt Frazier	4
10.	Clyde Drexler	25	Scottie Pippen	4

NBA Triple-doubles with double figures in steals or blocked shots

• Listed are known occurrences; others may exist.

Points, rebounds, blocks

• After the traditional points, rebounds, assists combination, this is by far the most common combination. It has occurred 46 times in the regular season in the last 22 years, for a rate of more than 2 occurrences per season. Several players have achieved this feat multiple times.
• Dikembe Mutombo (ten games)
• Hakeem Olajuwon (nine games, one was in his quadruple-double)
• David Robinson (nine times, one was in his quadruple-double)
• Shawn Bradley (six games)
• Marcus Camby (three games)
• Ben Wallace (two games)
• Nate Thurmond achieved this in his quadruple-double.
• Players with one occurrence: Mark Eaton, Manute Bol, Larry Nance, Benoit Benjamin, Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal, Andrei Kirilenko, Dwight Howard.

Points, assists, steals

• Fat Lever, March 9, 1985, Denver vs. Indiana - 13, 15, 10
• Clyde Drexler, January 10, 1986, Portland at Milwaukee — 26, 11, 10
• Kevin Johnson, December 9, 1993, Phoenix vs. Washington — 17, 13, 10
• Mookie Blaylock, April 14, 1998, Atlanta vs. Philadelphia — 14, 11, 10
• Alvin Robertson achieved this in his quadruple-double.

Points, rebounds, steals

• Larry Steele, November 16, 1974, Portland vs. L.A. Lakers — 12, 11, 10
• Clyde Drexler, November 1, 1996, Houston vs. Sacramento — 25, 10, 10
• Kendall Gill, April 3, 1999, New Jersey vs. Miami — 15, 10, 11
• Alvin Robertson achieved this in his quadruple-double.

Points, assists, blocks

• This has happened twice in the last 22 NBA seasons, and at least three times in NBA history; all known occasions are in fact quadruple-doubles.

Rebounds, assists, blocks

• This has happened twice in the last 22 NBA seasons, and at least three times in NBA history; all known occasions are in fact quadruple-doubles.

Rebounds, assists, steals

• Alvin Robertson achieved this in his quadruple-double. It is the only known NBA example of this triple-double combination.

Triple-double combinations that have not been achieved

• points, steals, blocks
• rebounds, steals, blocks
• assists, steals, blocks

Non-traditional triple doubles

On March 29, 2009, Glen 'Big Baby' Davis for the Boston Celtics registered 19 points, 10 rebounds -- and 10 stitches. This has been dubbed, the 'Big Baby' triple double.

NCAA triple-doubles

• On March 22, 2009 Cole Aldrich of Kansas accumulated 13 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 blocks in a 60-43 victory over the Dayton Flyers in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
• Stephane Lasme (2007 at UMass), Jason Kidd (1994 at Cal) and Michael Anderson (1986 at Drexel) share the NCAA Division I record of four triple-doubles in a single season. While Kidd and Anderson accomplished the feat by achieving double figures in scoring, rebounds, and assists, Lasme's triple doubles are in scoring, rebounds, and blocks.
• Oscar Robertson, Andre Miller, Magic Johnson, Cole Aldrich, and Dwyane Wade are some of the players who have recorded triple-doubles in NCAA Tournament history.

• Kalara McFadyen of the Memphis Lady Tigers achieved perhaps the most unusual triple-double in history, without scoring a point or even attempting a shot. On February 3, 2002, in a women's Division I game against Charlotte, she had 12 assists, 10 steals, and 10 rebounds.
• Brendan Haywood was the first player to record a triple-double in UNC with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks, on December 4, 2000.
• On February 21st 2009, University of Maryland, College Park junior guard Greivis Vasquez scored a triple double with 35 Points, 11 Rebounds, and 10 Assists against #3 ranked UNC. This was only the 3rd triple double in the history of The University of Maryland.
• Baylor University Senior Guard Curtis Jerrells is the earliest in the 2009 Season to record a triple double in a game.
• Penny Hardaway had back-to-back triple doubles for the the University of Memphis during the 1992-93 season. He recorded 21 points, 15 assists, and 14 rebounds against Georgia State University on January 4, 1993 and then recorded 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists against 18th-ranked Vanderbilt on January 6, 1993.

See also

• Double-double
• Quadruple-double
• Five-by-five

External links

• List of NBA triple-doubles since the 1986-87 season at basketball-reference.com