who holds the NBA record for the most triple doubles?

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Clarification of Question by jim4321-ga on 16 Oct 2002 17:45 PDT

who holds the NBA record or the most CAREER triple doubles?

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Clarification of Question by jim4321-ga on 16 Oct 2002 17:46 PDT

Who holds the NBA record for the most CAREER triple doubles?

Dear jim4321,

As you know, a triple-double is defined as a player reaching double
digit stats in three categories (points, rebounds, assists) in any one
game. While one might expect the NBA triple-double record would belong
to a modern-day great like Magic Johnson or Larry Bird, the actual
record holder may not be so familiar to the average sports fan. Oscar
Robertson, otherwise known as "The Big O," racked up 181 triple-double
games in a 14-year NBA career. Magic Johnson comes in at 138, and Wilt
Chamberlain in third place with 78 triple-double games. In 1961-62,
his second season with the Cincinnati Royals, Robertson achieved a
triple-double average for the entire season: 30.8 points, 12.5
rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game.

A selection of Robertson's achievements:
- co-captain on the 1960 U.S. Olympic basketball team (gold medal
winners)
- NBA Rookie of the Year, 1960-61
- played in 12 straight NBA All-Star Games
- NBA Most Valuable Player, 1963-64
- top scoring guard of all time

Robertson played for the Royals for 10 years, and for the Milwaukee
Bucks from 1970-74. It's easy to see why Oscar Robertson is often
cited as the greatest overall and most versatile basketball player of
all time. Many believe it's unlikely that his achievements will ever
be paralleled.

Oscar Robertson was voted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979.

Sources:

ESPN.com: Oscar defined the triple-double
<http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016428.html>

Milwaukee Bucks Players: Oscar Robertson
<http://www.execpc.com/~mikegr/bucks/robertson_o.html>

NBA.com: Oscar Robertson
<http://global.nba.com/history/robertson_bio.html>

You might also be interested in:

Oscar Robertson's website
<www.thebigo.com>

Oscar Robertson: a basketball legend
<http://allsands.com/Sports/History/oscarroberston_iw_gn.htm>

The big O's triple-double season, 40 years ago
<http://www.thebigo.com/pages/40thAnniversary.html>

The following keyword strings directed my research:

nba record triple-double
record most triple-doubles

Take care, and have a great day!

Regards,

Emjay-ga

Note that a triple double is not limited to the three catagories of
points, rebounds, and assists. A triple double can be made of any
combination of positive statistics, such as points, rebounds, assists,
steals, or blocked shots. So a "quadruple double" and such is also
possible.

I've even heard of triple doubles being referred to with negative
statistics included, such as points, assists, and turnovers, but I'm
not sure if that counts as an "official" triple double, if there is
such a thing.