Nuggets’ Russell Westbrook becomes the first NBA player to record 200 triple-doubles

There may be some criticisms of his game, but there is one thing Russell Westbrook has done better than anyone in NBA history.

The Denver Nuggets guard became the first player to record 200 career triple-doubles on Tuesday, with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists in a 122-110 NBA Cup win over the Memphis Grizzlies. He got there just in time to grab his 10th rebound with 1:17 left in the game.

Westbrook was already the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles after surpassing Oscar Robertson in 2021. His frequency has declined since then, which correlates with his transition from ball-dominant point guard to bench player. Tuesday was just his second since being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2022-23 season, and his first with the Nuggets.

Still, Westbrook now has sole employment in an impressive club, though he may have company in a few years or more.

Who will join Russell Westbrook in the 200-triple-double club?

The closest active player to Westbrook on the NBA’s all-time leaderboard is his Nuggets teammate Nikola Jokić with 136. To reach 200 in his career, Jokić only needs to repeat the production of his previous three seasons, when he recorded 73 in 222 games .

It seems very possible as the reigning MVP shows no signs of slowing down. He already has six triple-doubles this season and entered Tuesday leading the NBA in both rebounds (13.7) and assists (11.7) per game. He missed his third straight game Tuesday due to personal reasons that likely had something to do with Westbrook’s historic night.

Luka Dončić also looks set to join Westbrook when his career is over, with 77 triple-doubles to his name at just 25 years old. Duplicating his production over the next 10 years would be difficult for any player, but the length of the runway is more important than anything else.

Despite the triple-double, the most notable moment of Westbrook’s night might have been his technical foul.

At the end of the third quarter, Westbrook drove past Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama, stared him down for about a second and began running to the other end of the court. He somehow felt like it.

You can only imagine what the NBA would look like if every player was held to that standard. Of course, that didn’t faze Westbrook too much.