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• Recording a triple double in the NBA is a great accomplishment because it not only requires a player to be good in one area of the game, but he needs to excel in several. A triple double can have a huge impact on the outcome of a game. The player who achieves the feat may have helped his team to victory by scoring important points, grabbing key rebounds and assisting his teammates for scoring. Players who have the ability to consistently record triple doubles are considered superstars, and those listed below are almost all NBA legends.

A triple-double is one of the most impressive feats that a player can achieve in a basketball game, because reaching double digits in three different statistics is not easy. This feat is only for the best, most complete players, those who excel in various aspects of the game.RELATED: The First 10 Picks Of The 2022 NBA Draft, Ranked By Their College Statistics The NBA began to take into account triple doubles in the 1979-80 season thanks to Magic Johnson, but thanks to basketball reference, we have access to triple-doubles recorded since the 1950-51 season. Since then, many talented players have passed through the NBA, and some of them recorded dozens, and even hundreds of triple-doubles during their careers. Without further ado, here are the 10 players with the most triple-doubles in NBA history.

UPDATE: 2023/04/21 10:39 EST BY ROBERTH PEREZ

Recording a triple double in the NBA is a great accomplishment because it not only requires a player to be good in one area of the game, but he needs to excel in several. A triple double can have a huge impact on the outcome of a game. The player who achieves the feat may have helped his team to victory by scoring important points, grabbing key rebounds and assisting his teammates for scoring. Players who have the ability to consistently record triple doubles are considered superstars, and those listed below are almost all NBA legends.

15 Rajon Rondo (32)

Rajon Rondo was a very skilled point guard, he was agile and elusive, which allowed him to dribble and move with ease. Rondo's averages were not great, however, as he recorded 9.8 points per game, 4.5 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game, with a Player Efficiency Rating of 15.8.

But when Rondo was motivated, he exploited all his tools to deliver a great performance, as when he scored 18 points, grabbed 17 rebounds and dished out 20 assists on March 4, 2012, in the Boston Celtics' win over the New York Knicks.

14 Bob Cousy (33)

Bob Cousy was a fantastic NBA player. He had exceptional playmaking skills, in fact, he led the league in assists in eight straight seasons. So, it's no wonder Cousy is often considered as one of the greatest point guards in the history of the game.

During his career, Cousy recorded 33 triple-doubles, which was an impressive feat in the 1950s. The "Houdini of the Hardwood" averaged 18.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game.

13 Ben Simmons (33)

Ben Simmons had the potential to become a superstar, as fans and analysts expected a brilliant career from the Australian. Unfortunately, injuries and inconsistency have made Simmons one of the biggest NBA disappointments of his generation.

In fact, right now he is 26 years old and is coming off his worst season. However, when Simmons is healthy and focused, he has shown what he is capable of, which is why he has 33 career triple-doubles so far.

12 Giannis Antetokounmpo (35)

Week after week, Giannis Antetokounmpo steals the show, puts up extraordinary numbers, and gathers merits to start being considered as one of the all-time great NBA players. In his 10-year career, The Greek Freak averages 22.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, with a Player Efficiency Rating of 24.9, so it's no wonder he has 35 triple doubles.

According to Stathead, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only player in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block in multiple seasons, that's how special this guy is.

11 Fat Lever (43)

Fat Lever may not be as well-known as some of the other great players, but he was particularly adept at collecting triple-doubles. He played in the NBA from 1982 to 1994, with the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers and the Dallas Mavericks.

Lever finished his career with averages of 13.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game, recording 43 triple-doubles. He was an excellent defender, rebounder, and scorer, which is why he was a valuable asset to his teams.

10 Luka Dončić (46)

Luka Dončić has barely played four NBA seasons and is already among the top 10 players with the most triple-doubles in league history, mind-blowing, isn't it? El Matador has 46 triple-doubles in 264 games played, averaging 26.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game.

It's hard to believe that Dončić already has more triple-doubles than the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Charles Barkley, or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In fact, Luka Dončić is the only player in NBA history with at least 20 triple-doubles at age 21 or younger. Luka will keep climbing this list, that’s for sure.

9 Larry Bird (59)

Larry Bird was not only one of the best NBA players of the 1980s, but one of the best of all time. The NBA Hall of Famer averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game, recording 59 triple-doubles throughout his career, not counting 10 other triple-doubles he recorded in the playoffs.

The Great White Hope had 10 triple-doubles in both the 1985-86 and 1989-90 seasons.

8 James Harden (69)

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James Harden is one of the best players of his generation, especially in terms of offense. James Harden was scoring champion in three consecutive seasons, averaging 33.7 points per game in that span. However, The Beard has proven that he can contribute much more than just points, and his 69 triple-doubles in the regular season are proof of that.

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On December 31, 2016, Harden had an epic performance, recording 53 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds, leading the Houston Rockets 129-122 victory over the New York Knicks. James Harden has five 50-point triple-doubles, the most all-time.

7 Nikola Jokić (76)

The reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokić ranks seventh among the players with the most triple-doubles in NBA history, with 76, including 19 in the last season (league leader). This guy is a beast, the best NBA player right now, as he can do it all on the court.

Jokić’s arguably most impressive triple-double happened on January, 19, 2022, when he erupted for 49 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists against the Los Angeles Clippers.

6 Wilt Chamberlain (78)

It's not surprising to see Wilt Chamberlain on this list considering he averaged 30.1 points, 22.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game in his career. This guy was synonymous with dominance and superiority, he was a talent without equal.

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One of Chamberlain's wildest displays came on February 13, 1963, when he scored 51 points, grabbed 29 rebounds and dished out 11 assists, though he couldn't prevent the San Francisco Warriors' 134-132 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

5 LeBron James (105)

LeBron James is indisputably one of the best players in NBA history, some even consider him the best. King James is the complete package, he can excel in all facets of the game, and that is precisely why he has 105 career triple-doubles, not counting his 28 triple-doubles in playoffs.

LeBron James is the only player in history with a triple-double against all 30 NBA teams, putting up standout performances no matter the circumstances.

4 Jason Kidd (107)

Jason Kidd was one of the best passers of all time, in fact, he is second all-time in assists (12,091) and eighth in assists per game (8.7). But in addition to assists, Jason Kidd averaged 12.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, so it's no wonder he recorded 107 triple-doubles.

Jason Kidd led the NBA in triple-doubles 10 times in a span of 11 seasons, which is simply amazing. Jason Kidd's last triple-double was on March 1, 2011, posting 13 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds in the Dallas Mavericks 101-93 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

3 Magic Johnson (138)

This gentleman was the one who popularized the triple-doubles, since he showed extraordinary versatility since his debut. Magic Johnson recorded a league-leading seven triple-doubles in his rookie year, something he would become accustomed to, as out of the 13 seasons he played, he led the league in triple-doubles in 10 of them.

Magic averaged 19.5 points, 11.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds per game, proving that he was a player ahead of his time.

2 Oscar Robertson (181)

Maybe Magic Johnson popularized triple-doubles, but we can't forget who was the true pioneer of this feat. Oscar Robertson had 181 triple-doubles in his 14-year career, 148 in his first five seasons, which is absolutely insane.

One of the most memorable performances of Oscar Robertson's career was on December 27, 1963, when he recorded 37 points, 22 rebounds and 11 dimes in the Cincinnati Royals' 91-87 victory over the Boston Celtics. Oscar Robertson was simply different, a player for the ages.

1 Russell Westbrook (194)

The player with the most triple-doubles in NBA history is Russell Westbrook, with 194, yes, you read that right. Believe or not, Westbrook had just eight triple-doubles in his first six seasons, and in the following eight campaigns, he recorded 186 triple-doubles, including 42 in the 2016-17 season.

Mr. Triple-Double averaged a triple-double per game between the 2016-17 and 2018-19 seasons (26.8 points, 10.6 rebounds and 10.4 assists), which is simply ridiculous and mind-blowing. He scores triple-doubles as if he were playing NBA 2K, well, actually in the video game it's not as easy as Russell Westbrook makes it look.