LeBron James is a historian of the game, so when Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook erected a new NBA record on Friday night, the Los Angeles Lakers forward was quick to tip his hat to his peer.

Westbrook and the Thunder still have three games remaining on the season, but he's now assured of another triple-double average. This marks his third straight season of accomplishing such a feat, making him the only player in NBA history to do so.

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Like Westbrook, LeBron is also regarded as one of the NBA's best all-around players ever. In his first few years, James was even touted as the next player who would replicate Oscar Robertson's record of a triple-double average for an entire season.

But Westbrook is now hailed as the league's triple-double god. The Thunder guard now holds averages of 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, 10.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. More importantly, Oklahoma City is on its way to the playoffs.

Unfortunately for James, he'll be watching the playoffs from afar as his Lakers are already out of contention. This is a rare spot for James, but this step back could very well be what the doctored ordered for him to leap several steps forward.