Top 5 active NBA stars who have recorded just one triple-double in their careers so far
The triple-double is looked at by different NBA players in different ways. Some consider it one of the best and most prestigious career achievements while others see it as nothing more than filling up the stats. Still, many others view triple-doubles as a metronomic gauge to measure one’s daily performance the way Russell Westbrook sees it.
No matter the motive, triple-doubles are a fact of life in the NBA. As teams delve deeper into advanced analytics, triple-doubles have become part and parcel of everyday league statistics. Some triple-doubles regularly reflect the brilliance of a player the way they do for LeBron James, Luka Doncic and James Harden, while for others, they are random events that could merit a second look or complete nonchalance.
The NBA currently features top players who, despite their incredible talents and skills, have only completed the triple-double once in their career. Whether they add one more to their totals remains to be seen, but there is no question that their greatness is the overall measure of their team’s success.
Here’s the list of NBA superstars who have only recorded a single triple-double in their careers.
#5 Karl-Anthony Towns
Coming into the 2021-22 NBA season, Karl Anthony Towns has played 408 regular-season games with averages of 22.9 PPG and 11.6 RPG. His assist totals and averages have been the consistent cause for missing potential triple-doubles.
On December 12, 2016, Karl-Anthony Towns amassed 15 points, 11 caroms and 10 assists in a game against the Denver Nuggets. It was a game the Timberwolves lost a 105-13 decision to the Nuggets. The closest he came to duplicating the feat was last season against the Chicago Bulls when he led the Timberwolves to a win. He finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Just finished recording the pod but just realized this and it's insane ...
This was Karl-Anthony Towns' first double-digit assist game since Dec. 28, 2016. That was his only career triple-double, and it came against...
Jokic and the Nuggets. With Chris Finch on the bench.
KAT could get another triple-double as part of his natural development as a player. He has increased his assists total in each of his six seasons with the Timberwolves in the NBA. With an average of 4.5 assists last season, there will be games when those could reach double digits. If the timing is right with his regular double-doubles, the second triple-double of his career will surely come.
#4 Damian Lillard
One of the NBA’s deadliest and most clutch players has only one triple-double in his career. In a game against the Houston Rockets on January 30, 2020, Lillard lit up the Rockets with 36 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. The Portland Trail Blazers won that game to the tune of 125-112.
Damian Lillard's 1st career triple-double of 36 PTS, 10 REB, 11 AST pushes the @trailblazers past Houston at home. https://t.co/K3xa9KCwPN
Lillard’s 36 points in that game was the sixth straight of 30 or more points scored in a season. It’s a franchise record that stands to this day.
Damian Lillard has played 682 career games entering the 2021-22 NBA season. It’s not a surprise, though, that he's only had one triple-double in his career.
For one, he is one of the shortest NBA superstars around. The Portland Trail Blazers also require him to score and dish out to teammates, which would make rebounding the least of his concerns in a game. His lack of rebounding does not tell the whole story of what Damian Lillard can accomplish on the court.