Westbrook earns 60th career triple-double, passes Bird on all-time list
Russell Westbrook spent roughly 48 hours tied with Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird for fifth on the NBA's career triple-doubles list. That was clearly too long for the Oklahoma City Thunder star, who wasted no time in moving himself ahead of "Larry Legend."
Westbrook passed Bird for sole possession of fifth place on Wednesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans with his 23rd triple-double of the 2016-17 regular season and 60th of his career.
NBA All-Time Triple-Doubles List
| Rank | Player | Triple-Doubles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Robertson | 181 |
| 2 | Magic Johnson | 138 |
| 3 | Jason Kidd | 107 |
| 4 | Wilt Chamberlain | 78 |
| 5 | Russell Westbrook | 60 |
| 6 | Larry Bird | 59 |
| 7 | LeBron James | 47 |
| 8 | Fat Lever | 43 |
| 9 | Bob Cousy | 33 |
| 10 | John Havlicek | 31 |
(Courtesy: Basketball-Reference.com)
In 35 minutes of action, the five-time All-Star scored a game-high 27 points (albeit on 7-of-22 shooting), grabbed 12 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists to lift the Thunder to a 114-105 victory on the road at the Smoothie King Center.
This comes on the heels of his 38-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist performance against the Utah Jazz Monday.
With Bird now in the rear view, Wilt Chamberlain and his 78 triple-doubles becomes the next target for Westbrook as he continues his rapid ascension at an historic pace.