Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson, the Big O, pioneered the “triple-double.”
When he first began accomplishing the feat in the early 1960s, the triple-double wasn't even a tracked statistic in the NBA.
He was the first NBA player to average a triple-double for an entire season (1961-62 – 30.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 11.4 APG) and held the record for most career triple-doubles (181) for more than five decades.
Then came along Russell Westbrook, who broke Robertson's all-time record in May 2021 when he achieved his 182nd career triple-double in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. He has since added to his career total, reaching 200-plus and counting.
Westbrook has averaged a triple-double for an entire season four times during his career, three more than Robertson. Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets (2024-25) is the only other player to accomplish that feat.
Most NBA Triple-Doubles (All-Time)
Editor's note: Statistics through 2025-26 season.
* = Active NBA player, per basketball-reference.com
Russell Westbrook*
- 209 triple-doubles
Nikola Jokić*
- 198 triple-doubles
Oscar Robertson
- 181 triple-doubles
- Hall of Fame
Magic Johnson
- 138 triple-doubles
- Hall of Fame
LeBron James*
- 125 triple-doubles
Jason Kidd
- 107 triple-doubles
- Hall of Fame
Luka Dončić*
- 90 triple-doubles
James Harden*
- 82 triple-doubles
Wilt Chamberlain
- 78 triple-doubles
- Hall of Fame
Domantas Sabonis*
- 68 triple-doubles
Larry Bird
- 59 triple-doubles
- Hall of Fame
Giannis Antetokounmpo*
- 56 triple-doubles
Fat Lever
- 43 triple-doubles
Bob Cousy
- 33 triple-doubles
- Hall of Fame
Draymond Green*
- 33 triple-doubles
Ben Simmons
- 33 triple-doubles
Most NBA Triple-Doubles (Single Season)
Robertson set the standard when he averaged a triple-double (30.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 11.4 APG) during the 1961-62 season with the Cincinnati Royals. That season, he recorded 41 in 79 regular-season games played.
His record stood for more than half a century.
Then, during the 2016-17 season, Russell Westbrook broke Robertson's single-season record by recording 42 triple-doubles over 81 games. On April 9, 2017, Westbrook broke the record with a 50-point, 16-rebound, 10-assist performance against the Denver Nuggets.
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
- Triple-doubles: 42
- Season: 2016-17
Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals
- Triple-doubles: 41
- Season: 1961-62
Russell Westbrook, Wizards
- Triple-doubles: 38
- Season: 2020-21
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
- Triple-doubles: 34
- Season: 2018-19
Nikola Jokić, Nuggets
- Triple-doubles: 34
- Season: 2025-26
Nikola Jokić, Nuggets
- Triple-doubles: 34
- Season: 2024-25
Wilt Chamberlain, 76ers
- Triple-doubles: 31
- Season: 1967-68
Nikola Jokić, Nuggets
- Triple-doubles: 29
- Season: 2022-23
Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals
- Triple-doubles: 26
- Season: 1960-61
Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals
- Triple-doubles: 26
- Season: 1963-64
Domantas Sabonis, Kings
Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
- Triple-doubles: 26
- Season: 2023-24
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
- Triple-doubles: 25
- Season: 2017-18
Nikola Jokić, Nuggets
- Triple-doubles: 25
- Season: 2023-24
Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals
- Triple-doubles: 22
- Season: 1964-65
Wilt Chamberlain, 76ers
- Triple-doubles: 22
- Season: 1966-67
James Harden, Rockets
- Triple-doubles: 22
- Season: 2016-17
Most NBA Triple-Doubles (Postseason)
They don’t call him Magic for nothing.
In the NBA playoffs, nobody has more triple-doubles than Magic Johnson, who recorded 30 over 190 games. He is joined by LeBron James and Nikola Jokić as the only players with 15 or more triple-doubles in the postseason.
Magic Johnson
- 30 postseason triple-doubles
- 190 games
LeBron James
- 28 postseason triple-doubles
- 302 games
Nikola Jokić
- 23 postseason triple-doubles
- 100 games
Russell Westbrook
- 12 postseason triple-doubles
- 135 games
Jason Kidd
- 11 postseason triple-doubles
- 158 games
Larry Bird
- 10 postseason triple-doubles
- 164 games
Luka Dončić
- 10 postseason triple-doubles
- 55 games
Draymond Green
- 10 postseason triple-doubles
- 169 games
Rajon Rondo
- 10 postseason triple-doubles
- 134 games
