NBA History: 5 players with most 40-point triple-doubles during the regular season
Recording a triple-double in the NBA is no small feat, let alone a 40-point triple-double. However, a few players have shown how great they are by doing that more frequently than others.
Although 28 different players have recorded 40-point triple-doubles in NBA history, only a few of them have been consistent with their production. With young players like Luka Doncic and Trae Young on the list, there is the prospect of witnessing a lot more 40-point triple-doubles in the years to come.
On that note, let's take a deep dive into NBA history and have a look at the five players with the most 40-point triple-doubles.
#5 LeBron James - 6
LeBron James was the No.1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft but did not get his first career triple-double until the 2004-05 season. His first triple-double tally read 27 points, 11 rebounds and ten assists.
It did not take long for James to dominate the NBA as he started registering triple-doubles more frequently. His first 40-point triple-double came on April 9, 2005, when he recorded 40 points, ten rebounds and ten assists against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Although he recorded most of his 40-point triple-doubles in the earlier part of his career, his last NBA regular-season triple-double came in the 2017-18 campaign. He registered 44 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
LeBron James' game has evolved, in the sense that he is more of a creator than a scorer now, which is why his points tally has reduced in recent years. Nevertheless, the King still knows how to turn on the jets when push comes to shove, as seen in the 2018 playoffs game when he recorded 42 points, ten rebounds and 12 assists against the Boston Celtics.
Despite having only six 40-point triple-doubles in the regular season, LeBron James has a total of 128 career triple-doubles and has a few years to add to that tally.
#4 Wilt Chamberlain - 7
Wilt Chamberlain is one of the greatest players in NBA history. He holds the record for the most points scored in a single game after putting 100 past the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962.
Chamberlain was selected by the Philadelphia Warriors in the 1959 territorial pick. Before his debut in the NBA, he was a member of the famed Harlem Globetrotters.
Wilt Chamberlain's 7' 1" frame made his job a lot easier. He recorded what could perhaps be seen as the greatest triple-double in NBA history in a 131-121 victory against the Detroit Pistons in 1968. He registered 22 points, 25 rebounds and 21 assists, making him the first player to post a double triple-double with a 20-20-20 stat line.
In his 15-year NBA career, Chamberlain posted a total of 78 triple-doubles, seven of them being 40-point triple-doubles. For a big man, it was incredible that he also had the court vision to create as many assists as he did.