"I never even had a triple-double in my life" - Jeff Teague argues Russell Westbrook normalized triple-doubles

Kevin Durant left his running mate, Russell Westbrook, high and dry in Oklahoma after joining the Golden State Warriors. But that just added fuel to Westbrook’s fire. What followed were seasons of legendary performances, stats and record-breaking numbers.

Westbrook was known as one of the best guards in the league beforehand, but after Durant’s departure, he turned into an MVP-level of player.

In the recent episode of Jeff Teague‘s “Club 520” podcast, the crew talked about Westbrook’s historic run in the post-Durant era after the former was left off CBS Sports’ NBA All-Quarter Century Teams.

“He made that look too normal,” Teague said about Westbrook’s triple-double seasons. “The fact that we just blow past the fact somebody averaged a triple-double for four straight years and they’re a point guard and we like ‘Yeah, like what?'”

“That sh—t is crazy, I never even had a triple-double in my life. I didn’t have one triple-double. For somebody who played for 12 years and started for nine of those. I didn’t get close”, he added.

“He did it so much that people got used to it. He made it normal. And he did it every night. He had a 20-20-20 game, bro. You really do it. Twenty dimes is crazy. Twenty rebounds, too. That’s crazy,” Marquis Teague said.

From OKC’s hero to an MVP: a triple-double overdose

Before Westbrook, Oscar Robertson was the only player to ever average a triple-double (1961-62). For a long time, it seemed like no other player would repeat what Robertson did. Not ever.

Then came Westbrook, who filled the stat sheet with not one, but four seasons with triple-double averages from 2016-17 to 2020-21 (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021).

With Durant out the door, Westbrook got the keys to Oklahoma City and went ballistic. Averaging 31.6 points per game, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists, he took home the 2016-17 MVP award. That year was filled with iconic moments — game winner against Denver Nuggets, multiple 50-point triple-doubles — with the biggest being a record-breaking 42 triple-doubles in a season, surpassing Robertson’s 41.

Although the Thunder weren’t a contender, Westbrook carried them to a sixth seed in the playoffs, where they were gentlemanly swept by James Harden’s Houston Rockets. Without Westbrook, the Thunder would have undoubtedly been at the bottom of the league.

In the next season and seasons after that, Westbrook did it again, showing that it wasn’t just a one-time thing or a fluke. Along with that came an array of criticism and insults from fans and analysts, calling Westbrook a “stat padder” and saying his style wasn’t translating into winning games.

The fact is, no one was doing what he was doing, especially not for that long.

After leaving the Thunder in 2019, many thought his domination was over, but Westbrook turned back the clock in the 2020-21 season while in a Washington Wizards uniform, finishing the year with one more triple-double average. He became a leader in all-time triple-doubles, once again surpassing Robertson. As of today, his number sits at a total of 203.

But with great numbers comes a great load to carry.

Impact and controversies

In the eyes of players, Westbrook became a synonym for heart, never-ending energy, boldness and grit. On the other hand, the media didn’t budge into that; rather, they accused Westbrook of chasing the triple-doubles.

Still, many feel he was unfairly criticized.

“Y’all try to justify somebody averaging 30-10-10, say whatever y’all want. I did it anyway, bro,” DJ Wells said on the podcast, referring to Westbrook’s point of view.

Whether you love or hate him, what Westbrook did will never be forgotten and will forever be written in history books. He changed the game in his own way — a stat that seemed impossible to achieve became the norm.

With today’s players, such as Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, dropping absurd stat lines, it doesn’t mean much because of stat inflation, but Westbrook did it when the atmosphere was totally different. The triple-double will never carry the same weight that it used to because he turned it into an everyday thing.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

“I never even had a triple-double in my life” – Jeff Teague argues Russell Westbrook normalized triple-doubles

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