Can You Identify These NBA Players With the Most Career Triple-Doubles?

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By: Gavin Thagard

7 Min Quiz

Image: Wiki Commons by Sport Magazine Archives & The Sporting News Archives

About This Quiz

Surprisingly, triple-doubles are rather controversial in the NBA. On one hand, a player who can put up a triple-double is looked at as a star who does it all on the court to help their team win. They know how to score when called upon but aren't afraid to set up teammates or do the dirty work underneath the basket. However, they are occasionally looked at as stat stuffers, desperately trying to get that last rebound at the end of a game to secure another triple-double on their resume.

No matter how it's classified, a triple-double is still a feat that few players can accomplish on a regular basis. Sure, a player might get hot and achieve one or two triple-doubles in their career, but few players have the ability to achieve multiple triple-doubles throughout a season or to average one for an entire year. Those rare talents are in a category all by themselves.

Do you think you know the history of the triple-double enough to identify the skilled NBA players who racked up the most of them? From former legends to current stars, this quiz covers them all. So when you're ready, take your best shot to see what stat line you can achieve on this quiz!

This was the first player to average a triple-double for a season. Who is he?

Oscar Robertson's ability to achieve a triple-double went all the way back to college, where he played at Cincinnati. Even though he left the school in 1960, he's still the Bearcat's all-time leader in triple-doubles.

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The NBA record books are filled by which player depicted in this image?

Wilt Chamberlain is one of only two players to achieve a triple-double by putting up at least 20 in three different categories. He racked up these totals on February 2, 1968, against the Detroit Pistons when he scored 22 points, grabbed 22 rebounds and set up teammates with 21 assists.

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How well do you know this NBA star who can score 50 points while also putting up a triple-double?

James Harden sits second on the list of the most 40-point triple-doubles in a career with 14. When he achieved his 14th triple-double, Harden passed his teammate Russell Westbrook, who had previously been second.

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Are you familiar with this Hall of Famer whose competitiveness separated him from his contemporaries?

Larry Bird could be a little arrogant on the basketball court, but he always backed up whatever he said. In 1986, he decided to play an entire game with his left hand, even though he was right-handed, and still ended up with a triple-double against the Portland Trail Blazers.

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What's the name of this superstar whose court vision rivals anyone to ever play in the NBA?

Despite losing the series, LeBron James' 2017 NBA Finals performance was one for the ages. In a five-game series against the Golden State Warriors, James averaged a triple-double with 33.6 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists per game.

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Do you recognize this player who can put up a triple-double on any given night?

In 2017, Russell Westbrook became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for a season. However, Westbrook surpassed his predecessor by achieving the feat over the next two seasons as well.

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Select the name of this player who changed the way small ball was played in the NBA.

Viewed as a player who can do it all, Draymond Green is very unconventional on the basketball court. He showed this in 2017 when he accomplished a triple-double with 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals while only scoring four points.

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Is this player known for his basketball IQ familiar to you?

A player who shines in the biggest moments, Rajon Rondo has 10 playoff triple-doubles in his career. One of those came in the 2010 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, where Rondo put up 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

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Do you recognize this player who was a star from the minute he hit an NBA basketball court?

Before injuries slowed him down, Grant Hill was on his way to being a superstar in the NBA, even recording 21.4 points, 7.3 assists and nine rebounds in only his third NBA season. However, the latter part of his career was injury-ridden, and Hill never returned to his younger form.

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The leader of the New York Knicks when they won two NBA titles, is this a player you're familiar with?

Few players have had the opportunity to participate in a Game 7 in the NBA Finals, and even fewer have performed at the same level as Walt Frazier. In Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, Frazier nearly achieved a triple-double by putting up 36 points, 19 assists and seven rebounds to earn his first title.

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Can you identify this former player who scored his last triple-double at the age of 34?

Shooting guards are usually known for scoring the ball, and Clyde Drexler could definitely put up points. Drexler could also crash the boards, though, finishing his career as the offensive rebounding leader for a guard.

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Regarded as one of the most balanced players in NBA history, who is this?

Towards the end of his rookie year in 1995, Jason Kidd put up his first triple-double with 19 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. That game, along with his play throughout the season, earned Kidd the NBA Rookie of the Year award.

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This NBA star had 20 seasons to rack up triple-doubles. Do you know who he is?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar finished his career as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history with 38,387 points and is third on the list of all-time rebounds. His skill in multiple categories earned him a record six NBA MVPs.

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Name this NBA legend who would do anything to win, whether that meant his team needed a triple-double or 50 points.

Throughout his NBA career, Kobe Bryant consistently averaged around five rebounds and five assists per game, finishing his career with 5.2 rebounds per game and 4.7 assists per game. However, his greatest attribute was his scoring, averaging 25 points per game at the time of his retirement.

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Will you be able to identify this legend who was primarily known for scoring points despite his ability to fill the stat sheet in other ways?

Early in his career, Michael Jordan was more of an individual player than when he was winning championships in the '90s. However, to win those championships, Jordan had to adapt his game to become more of a team player than when he was scoring 37 points per game.

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The only thing this player couldn't accomplish in the NBA was winning a championship. Who is he?

Despite grabbing rebounds at a high level and occasionally dishing out assists, Elgin Baylor's greatest skill on the court was scoring the ball. He sits near the top of many scoring records, which includes holding the NBA Finals record for points in a game with 61.

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Can you identify this playmaker who led the "Showtime" Lakers in the '80s?

Despite standing 6 feet 9 inches tall, the height for a power forward during his era, Earvin "Magic" Johnson played point guard throughout his NBA career. His height provided him with the court vision to always make the right play, whether it was scoring himself or throwing it to a teammate.

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Did you watch enough basketball in the '90s to identify this two-way superstar?

Playing beside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen became more known for his defensive ability than his offensive prowess, despite 21 triple-doubles in his career. Of course, it's no wonder he was recognized as a defensive star considering he made 10 All-Defensive Teams.

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Are you familiar with this player who was known as "The Round Mound of Rebound"?

For over a decade, Charles Barkley was one of the best players in the league, which is why he won the NBA MVP in 1993. However, even with all his regular-season stats, Barkley was never able to win an NBA championship.

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What's the name of this young NBA star who already sits near the top of the all-time triple-double list?

There was plenty of hype surrounding Ben Simmons when he came into the NBA, which is why he was taken with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Since then, Simmons has been criticized for his ability to shoot the ball, but he does enough things elsewhere on the court to make up for his missing jump shot.

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Assists were the strong suit of this player, but he could also put up stats in other categories. Who is he?

Playing 13 NBA seasons, Bob Cousy led the league in assists in eight of those seasons. He also consistently scored in the double digits, which meant he only had to fill one other category to earn a triple-double.

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The ultimate leader on the court, who is this former NBA MVP?

During Kevin Garnett's 2003-04 MVP season, he put up three of his 19 triple-doubles. In two of those games, Garnett scored at least 20 points while also pulling in 20 rebounds. The third triple-double, however, saw his highest scoring total with 35 points.

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A member of the Boston Celtics dynasty in the '60s and '70s, who is this?

The unique part of John Havlicek's triple-double total is that he never started a full season in his NBA career. Despite serving as a reserve, Havlicek nearly averaged a triple-double with 28.9 points, 7.5 assists and nine rebounds.

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How well do you know this forward who was the first overall pick in 1993?

Chris Webber played his best basketball with the Sacramento Kings from 1998 through 2005. He made the playoffs every full season he played with the Kings and was elected to four of his five All-Star Games while on the team.

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Can you identify this NBA player who recorded his first triple-double as a rookie in 1988?

After recording his first triple-double as a rookie in 1988, Mark Jackson would continue racking up triple-doubles until 2002. Jackson only spent two more seasons in the NBA before he retired.

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What's the name of this superstar who is almost unstoppable one-on-one?

Because he lacked muscle and an outside shot, Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn't taken in the 2013 NBA Draft until the 15th overall pick came around. However, by his second season, he was a full-time starter, and he was named the league MVP in only his sixth season.

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Are you familiar with this young star who is quickly rising up the triple-double list even though he's only in his second NBA season?

Luka Doncic was an overseas star, where he learned how to balance his game before he joined the NBA in 2018. His professional play overseas allowed him to quickly transition into the NBA, where he has already put himself in the MVP conversation at the age of 20.

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The Seattle SuperSonics were a fun team to watch in the '90s because of which legend depicted here?

Though Gary Payton played point guard and was usually responsible for setting up his teammates, he wasn't afraid to score the basketball, becoming one of the best scoring guards of all-time. In his best season, Payton averaged 24.2 points per game.

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Name this player whose figure is featured on the NBA logo.

Jerry West was the star of Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals, earning a triple-double with 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. However, the Los Angeles Lakers lost the series. Still, West was named the Finals MVP, the only player from a losing team to earn the honor.

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Have you ever seen this big man make enough plays to earn a triple-double?

In 2018, Nikola Jokic set the NBA record for the fastest triple-double in a game when he hit the total in three categories with 14 minutes and 33 seconds of playtime. The record had previously been held by Jim Tucker, who set it all the way back in 1955.

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Will you be able to identify this player whose knowledge of the game always puts him in a spot to make a play?

Chris Paul joined the Los Angeles Clippers in 2011, where he quickly helped turn the franchise around. Paul was able to find success playing beside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, two big men who could slam any ball that Paul threw near the rim. Together, the team became known as "Lob City."

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Do you recognize this playmaker who twice led the league in assists?

With the ability to dish out dimes to teammates for open looks, Guy Rodgers was one of the better point guards during his era. He was actually part of Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962, assisting Chamberlain on 20 of his shots.

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The New York Knicks benefited from the triple-doubles of which player shown here?

Drafted in 1978, it took Micheal Ray Richardson a few seasons to earn his first triple-double. However, once he did, Richardson had a seven-year stretch where he put up 21 triple-doubles before he was banned from the NBA for drug violations.

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Recognized as the ultimate champion, is this a player you're familiar with?

Bill Russell put on a show to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1968 NBA Finals. In the series, Russell recorded three triple-doubles, which consisted of the usual points and rebounds. However, instead of assists, Russell blocked at least 10 shots in those three games.

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Have you seen this player put up a triple-double in the past decade?

In 2019, Kyle Lowry finally won the elusive championship that he had been seeking for years with the Toronto Raptors. Lowry played well throughout the 2019 NBA Finals, racking up 16.2 points, 7.2 assists and four rebounds per game.

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Do you know this player who turned to coaching when his playing career ended?

Lenny Wilkens played in nine All-Star Games as a player, making his first game in 1963 and his final one in 1973. He was one of the highlights of the 1971 All-Star Game, earning the MVP award for the game after scoring 21 points.

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Point guards are supposed to set up their teammates with open shots, but which point guard shown here also scored points and pulled down rebounds?

Playing from 1982 through 1994, Fat Lever was never an MVP-caliber player like many of the other stars on the list of the most triple-doubles, but he was still a great contributor on the teams he played for. By the time he retired, he had reached the playoffs eight times and made two All-Star Games.

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This young player is currently helping the New York Knicks rebuild. Who is he?

Though only 25 years old, Elfrid Payton hasn't quite found a consistent home with any one NBA team. He's played for four teams so far, with his longest stint being with the Orlando Magic from 2014 through 2018.

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How familiar are you with this guard whose ability to rebound separated him from many other guards in his era?

Richie Guerin spent six seasons as a player-coach for the St. Louis and later Atlanta Hawks, where his team consistently made the playoffs. However, Guerin was past his prime by this point and never achieved a triple-double while he was also coaching.

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The triple-double was popularized in the early years of the NBA by players like which one depicted in this image?

Playing for the Warriors when the team was located in Philadelphia, Tom Gola was the first player from the franchise to score a triple-double in three straight games. The only other Warriors player to do so was Draymond Green nearly six decades later.

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