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Russell Westbrook has triple-doubles galore in his storied career, but the Washington Wizards guard has never recorded a single one in an NBA All-Star Game. He came close to registering one in the 2018 edition when he had 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
The 13-year veteran has won All-Star MVP honors in back-to-back seasons (2015, 2016), but his triple-double performances have yet to grace the league’s midseason classic. Though he has come close to recording the elusive triple-double just once before, there have been four legends in the game who have accomplished the feat.
No triple-doubles in the NBA All-Star Game for 46 years
In the 70 years that the NBA All-Star Game has been played, there have been only four instances when a player recorded a triple-double. The triple-double’s occurrence is so rare that the first one didn’t happen until the NBA All-Star Game's 47th year of existence.
Ironically, the distinction didn’t go to any of the top triple-double luminaries in league history like Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson or Jason Kidd. Instead, the honor went to arguably the greatest scorer in the game - Michael Jordan.
Let’s take a closer look at the four players who have recorded the only triple-doubles in NBA All-Star Game history.
1. Michael Jordan
During the half-time ceremonies of the 1997 All-Star Game, Michael Jordan and a huge ensemble of NBA greats gathered around the center court to be honored as the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
Jordan added to the night’s significance when he recorded the first-ever triple-double in All-Star history.
The five-time NBA MVP accomplished the prestigious feat at Gund Arena in Cleveland when he had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
Jordan didn’t have a particularly good shooting night, going 5-of-14 from the field and 4-of-7 from the line. To make up for one of his worst scoring games in the All-Star Game, the Chicago Bulls legend became a playmaker and board man by leading his team in assists and tying 6-foot-11 Christian Laettner for second-best in rebounds.
Despite the momentous accomplishment, Jordan didn’t win MVP honors. The award went to his teammate, Glen Rice, who scored 26 points to lead all scorers as the East won 132-120.
2. LeBron James
It took 14 years before someone had another triple-double in the NBA All-Star Game, and it was fitting that one of the greatest all-around players accomplished it.
LeBron James had the second triple-double in the All-Star Game with a 29-point, 12-rebound and 10-assist performance in 2011 at Staples Center in L.A.
This was James’ first time as an NBA All-Star with the Miami Heat. The Ohio native would have likely run away with the MVP award had the East won that evening.
Kobe Bryant stole the show as he led all scorers with 37 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, leading the West to a 148-143 victory over the East.
"He played great," James said. "He definitely deserved it."
The kid from Akron nearly carried the entire East squad back from a 17-point deficit but came up just short.
James had 14 points, four rebounds and three assists in the fourth quarter as he made history by joining Jordan (at the time) as the only player to finish an All-Star Game with a triple-double.
3. Dwyane Wade
Though it took a while for a player to have the second triple-double in an NBA All-Star Game, it took just one year before we got a third when Dwyane Wade had 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 2012.
The Miami Heat guard made 11-of-15 shots from the field as the East nearly completed a 21-point comeback but lost to the West 152-149 at Amway Center in Orlando.
It was a one-point game with 22.8 seconds to go after Wade knocked down two free throws to bring the East within a point, 150-149. However, Bryant and Blake Griffin knocked down a free-throw each for the West to finish up the scoring on the night.
The All-Star Game MVP Award naturally went to the winning team’s best player as Kevin Durant had 36 points and seven rebounds to lead the West to victory. The East relied on Wade and James, who nearly had a triple-double himself with 36 points, six rebounds and seven assists.
4. Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant recorded the latest triple-double in NBA All-Star Game history with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in 2017. The game was held at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Although Durant accomplished a rare feat, it was Anthony Davis who won MVP honors after setting an All-Star record, with 52 points and 10 rebounds, to lead the West to a 192-182 win over the East.
One of the biggest sub-plots of the game was the tension between Durant and Russell Westbrook. KD had left the OKC Thunder in the offseason to join the Golden State Warriors, much to the chagrin of his former teammate in Oklahoma City. As the game progressed, the two appeared to be cordial and even connected on a few plays during the game.
There wasn’t much buzz around Durant’s historic accomplishment mostly because of the lack of defense played by both squads. The high-scoring affair eventually led to the new NBA All-Star Game format to make the contest more competitive.
Guess the Lakers players!
