Oklahoma City Thunder’s point guard and reigning NBA MVP Russell Westbrook has done it again! The 29-year-old entered the Wednesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies 16 rebounds shy of averaging another triple-double in the season, and he got them in just 22 minutes on the court. With this feat, Westbrook became the first player in the NBA history to average a triple-double in two consecutive seasons. He finished the 2017-18 season averaging 25.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 10.2 assists.
Russ receives a big applause by fans in OKC for reaching his 2nd season straight averaging a triple-double! #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/P7JaQWPj2n
— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2018
In the Thunder’s final two games, against the Miami Heat and the Grizzlies, Westbrook needed to get 34 rebounds in order to average another triple-double through the season. After he grabbed 18 boards in the win against the Heat, there was no doubt that he will get what he needs in the last game of the 2017-18 regular season. Interesting thing was that Westbrook didn’t have a triple-double in the game against the Grizzlies since he ended up with 20 rebounds, 19 assists, and only 6 points.
“I’m very, very thankful and blessed to go out and compete,” – said Westbrook after the game. “Like I’ve said many, many times, I don’t take this game for granted, I don’t take going on the floor competing for granted, and God got something planned for me, man, nobody can stop it, and I always continue to follow his faith and stay faithful and stay strong and continue to do what I’m doing.“
In the 2016-17 season, during his MVP campaign, Russell Westbrook became only the second player in the history of the NBA to average a triple-double after Oscar Robertson did it in 1961–62 (30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists). Russell Westbrook also broke Robertson’s record for most triple-doubles in a season (41) by getting 42 of them.
