Say what you want about Russell Westbrook, but you can never say that he doesn’t hustle and give everything on both sides of the NBA hardwood.
His latest milestone is proof of that.
On Tuesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Denver Nuggets’ guard had 12 points, 9 rebounds and 14 assists, 1 rebound shy of reaching a ridiculous 200 triple-doubles. But there was only 1:28 remaining in the game so time was running out.
But after his teammate Dario Saric missed a three-pointer, Westbrook snatched the rebound and secured his NBA career leading 200th triple-double.
That rebound added another accomplishment to Westbrook’s already-impressive resume that includes 9x All-Star, 2x Scoring Champ, 2x All-Star MVP, 2016-17 NBA MVP and member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team.
Most would think of players like Oscar Robertson or Magic Johnson when it comes to this triple-threat stat, but it’s actually Westbrook who holds the record amongst a list that includes some of the greatest to ever play the game.
“It’s a blessing,” said Westbrook about the milestone. “I’m truly grateful to be able to play the game (well enough) to do that. But I’m also appreciative of the ones who came before me.”
The list of names, of which some came before him, include Robertson (181), Magic (138), Nikola Jokić (136), LeBron James (117), Jason Kidd (107), Wilt Chamberlain (78), James Harden (78), Luka Dončić 77 and Domantas Sabonis (61).
Out of the active players, Jokić is the closest and he’s still 64 triple-doubles behind Westbrook.
Westbrook, as is the norm, was humble about reaching the milestone and expressed his thanks for the most important stat- a W.
“Anytime we win and I get them, I’m always grateful for that,” Westbrook said. “It’s my favorite time.”
