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The shot clock era of basketball began in 1954. To increase the rate of activity and action, the NBA decided to introduce the 24-second shot clock. What this implied was that teams would have to attempt a shot within the assigned time frame. Failure to do so would result in a violation and the ball would be turned over.
The advent of the shot clock presented a change in the league. As the pace of the game increased, the rate of scoring in games increased. With teams looking to attempt more shots in a game and score more, audiences started returning to watch. The popularity of the sport rose once again.
The shot clock helped bring a sense of urgency to the game. This sense of urgency in turn allowed players to achieve greater things on an individual level.
With the pace of the game increasing with each generation, we look at the only 3 players who averaged 30+ points, 8+ assists and 8+ rebounds during a season in the shot clock era.
Listing the only 3 NBA players to average 30+ points, 8+ assists and 8+ rebounds during a season in the shot clock era
#3 Russell Westbrook (2016-17 NBA season)
Russell Westbrook is one of the most explosive athletes in NBA history. Being able to blow past defenders in a flash, Brodie is an absolute force of nature on the open floor.
Westbrook was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics (now Oklahoma City Thunder) in 2008. Now entering his 14th season in the league, Westbrook has established himself as a walking triple-double machine. With 182 triple-doubles to his name, Russell Westbrook has the #1 spot for most triple doubles in NBA history.
However, it was the 2016-17 season where Westbrook would average his first triple-double over the season. Coincidentally, in a career-season in scoring, Russell Westbrook averaged 31.6 points, 10.4 assists and 10.7 rebounds while recording 42 triple-doubles.
Westbrook also led the Thunder to the playoffs, although they lost to Houston in the first round. However, this would begin a trend for Westbrook as he has averaged a triple-double for three more seasons since then.
#2 Oscar Robertson (1960-62, 1963-65)
Oscar Robertson is regarded as one of the greatest combo guards of all time. Starting his career playing for the Cincinnati Royals (now Sacramento Kings), Robertson is the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double over the course of the regular-season.
Fresh out of college, "The Big O" showed signs of being a great player in the league. During his rookie season in 1960-61, Robertson took control of the Royals offense. He recorded 30.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 9.7 assists for the regular-season and also led the league in assists and won his first NBA assist leader title.
He followed up his tremendous rookie season with another stellar season in 1961-62. He recorded his first ever triple-double average over the season with 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists, winning his second consecutive assist championship in the process.
Between 1963-65, Robertson would repeat his excellent record averaging 30+ points, 8+ assists and 8+ rebounds during the regular-season.
In 1963-64, Oscar Robertson averaged 31.4 points, 11 assists and 9.9 rebounds, barely missing out on averaging another triple-double. He also led the league in assists for the third time in his career.
The following season, Robertson averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 assists and nine rebounds, securing his fourth assists leader title. The Cincinnati Royals ended the regular-season with 47 wins and 28 losses.
Oscar Robertson would eventually leave the Royals in 1970 to join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Milwaukee Bucks, where he would win his first and only NBA championship.
#1 Michael Jordan (1988-99 NBA season)
Michael Jordan is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time. A six-time NBA champion, five-time MVP and six-time Finals MVP with a perfect winning record in the NBA Finals, it is hard to fault anyone who considers him the greatest.
The 1988-89 NBA season was Jordan's fifth in the league. He had already established himself as one of the dominant forces in the NBA. Becoming the helm of the Chicago Bulls offense, Jordan spearheaded the franchise into the playoffs with a 44-37 record.
What was impressive about this season was that Jordan became the second player in NBA history to record 30+ points, 8+ assists and 8+ rebounds. Jordan recorded 32.5 points, eight assists and eight rebounds for the season.
Michael Jordan won his third consecutive NBA scoring title and in the process led the Chicago Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls lost to the Detroit Pistons in six games. Jordan averaged 34.6 points, seven rebounds and 7.6 assists in the playoffs that season.
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