Russell Westbrook just became the triple-double king by surpassing Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson for the most triple-doubles in NBA history. Albeit coming in a tough 1-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, the Washington Wizards star notched career triple-double no. 182 to take his spot atop the record books.
With the way he still continues to rack up triple-doubles, Westbrook will likely continue to pad on his record and he probably won't slow down any time soon. This will therefore make it even tougher for anyone to catch the 9-time All-Star and dethrone him as the trip-dub GOAT.
Nevertheless, as they say, all records are meant to be broken. Nobody thought anyone would break the Big O's record until Westbrook came along and made gobbling up triple-doubles a nightly routine. Perhaps someone down the line will be able to duplicate what Brodie did and eventually take away his crown, regardless of what number Russell Westbrook actually ends up with when his Hall of Fame career is eventually said and done.
With that, as unlikely as it may be, we'll attempt to take a look at the NBA's current crop of stars and list down players who could do the impossible and eventually topple Westbrook from his throne as the triple-double king.
1. Luka Doncic
Let's start with arguably the most obvious candidate: the Dallas Mavericks' 22-year old superstar Luka Doncic.
Like Westbrook, the 6-foot-7 Doncic plays the guard position. Still, despite doing so and lacking athleticism at that, Doncic has a knack for racking up a huge amount of rebounds from time to time. Obviously, with the way he can make plays for his teammates, Doncic is capable of getting dimes in his sleep and can put up points in a hurry as well.
Looking at his current tally, Doncic already has 35 triple-doubles to his name in just under three NBA seasons so far. Earlier this month, he became the second-fastest player in league history to notch 35 triple-doubles, trailing only the man who Russell Westbrook surpassed on the all-time triple-doubles list. Perhaps this is a telling sign that the triple-double crown may be in Doncic's future as he continues to carve out his path to being an all-time great.
Nonetheless, Doncic had quite a dry spell in terms of notching one for about a month and a half before notching trip-dub no. 35. His last prior to his latest triple-double, a 31-point, 12-rebound, 20-assist performance against (coincidentally) Russell Westbrook and the Wizards on May 1, came on March 15, where he posted 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 16 assists in a loss to the L.A. Clippers.
2. Nikola Jokic
How about the front-runner for this year's MVP, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets?
Jokic is definitely one of the most adept at notching up those triple-doubles. Listed at 6-foot-11 and 284-pounds, The Joker has the body to gobble up those boards with ease. He also has great hands and impeccable timing with his jump that makes him one of the best rebounders in the league, despite lacking in jumping ability and athleticism.
What makes Jokic so unique, however, is his ability and willingness to make plays from the center position. The Joker is arguably the greatest passing big man in the history of the league. With his unselfishness, Jokic is able to rack up those dimes.
As of this writing, the 26-year old Serbian has notched 56 triple-doubles through his 6-year NBA career so far. This 2020-21 season is the closest Jokic has been to averaging a triple-double in a season. In what will likely be his MVP campaign, Jokic is averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and a career-best 8.5 assists.
3. LaMelo Ball
Perhaps the youngest player to ever notch a triple-double, Charlotte Hornets rookie stud LaMelo Ball, could be the one to surpass Russell Westbrook as the triple-double king.
Obviously, the 19-year old's great court vision and awareness make him already an elite playmaker at such a young age. At 6-foot-6, Ball also has the length and athleticism to be able to get rebounds from the guard spots. These are perhaps what LaMelo can bank on if he's eventually going to become the triple-double king when it's all said and done.
In his debut campaign, Ball is averaging 20.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per 36 minutes. With more usage and more minutes coming his way, perhaps his rebounding and assist numbers would get bumped up even more.
However, Ball isn't off to a promising start to his career in terms of getting those triple-doubles. His 22-12-11 performance in their win over the Atlanta Hawks made him the youngest player to ever get a triple-double as he achieved the feat in just his 10th NBA game on January 9th. He hasn't had one since.
The good news for LaMelo Ball is that he has about two more decades to rack up those trip-dubs.
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