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Before last season, no modern NBA player had ever averaged a triple-double over a full season. Now Russell Westbrook has done it twice.
Westbrook pulled down 20 rebounds in the Oklahoma Thunder's season-ending game vs. Memphis. He only needed 16 rebounds but decided to grab four more for good measure and helped his team down the Grizzlies to secure the number 4 seed in the Western conference. Westbrook's 38 rebounds over the final two games of the season pulled his average above 10 rebounds a game and clinched a triple-double for the second straight year.
Westbrook finishes the regular season averaging 25.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 10.3 assists per game. The only other player to average a triple-double was Oscar Robertson in the 1961-62 season.
Westbrook shrugged off accusations of stat-padding before Wednesday's game. Per Deadspin:
"A lot people make jokes about whatever, stat-padding or going to get rebounds. If people could get 20 rebounds every night, they would. If people could [expletive] get 15 rebounds, they would. People that’s talking or saying whatever they need to say, they should try doing it and see how hard it is."
The reigning MVP has never been shy to let his opinions be known to the media and it didn't stop here. Here's another quote from Deadspin:
"Since everybody wants to be talking, I’m tired of hearing the same old rebound this, stealing rebounds, all this [expletive]. I take pride in what I do. I come out and play, and I get the ball faster than someone else gets to it. That’s what it is. If you don’t want it, I’m gonna get it. Simple as that."
Westbrook and the Thunder will host the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday.
Photo: Getty Images