Russell Westbrook is synonymous with his nickname “Mr. Triple Double”.
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Westbrook took the league to storm as an athletic guard at the Oklahoma City Thunder. Soon, his prolific numbers got him into regular triple-double contention. He went on to attain the incredible feat of averaging a triple-double for an entire season, multiple times.
Russ went on to record 194 triple-doubles. While his woes as an LA Laker have been in public vision, his legendary resume of triple-doubles has made him an inevitable Hall of Famer.
However, certain fans have come up with a claim that could dethrone Westbrook from his triple-double crown.
Maintaining statistics has been a developing science. Until more recently, blocks were not a recorded statistic in the NBA.
This, fans believe have robbed two pillars of the NBA from triple-double supremacy. Who are these two players who could have piled up triple-doubles? None other than the most legendary big men in all of basketball: Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.
How would Wilt and Russell challenge Brodie’s triple-double legacy?
During Wilt and Russell’s time in the league, one of the five main measuring criterion – blocks, were not recorded officially. Basketball statisticians point at the sheer ludicrous amount of blocks that went unrecorded between these two giants of the game.
Both players are estimated to have made 8.0 blocks a game on average. EIGHT.
Wilt Chamberlain averaged 30 points and 23 rebounds for his career. Bill Russell devoured the boards similarly and averaged 15 points and 22 rebounds for his career.
On an average, a double-double was a guarantee from these legends. Adding the multiple games of 10+ blocks that got their average to 8 a game, the number of point-rebound-block triple-doubles that could have been is unimaginable.
The late development of statistics made generations fail to comprehend the dominance of these greats.
Sorry Brodie, but can we pass on the honour to these generational icons already?
