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A five-by-five is by far the toughest stat line to achieve in a single game in professional basketball. Effecting 10 turnovers from the opposition single-handedly requires a high basketball IQ, immense agility, and quickness as well as the stamina to keep up a high level of defensive play for an extended time period.
So tough is the stat line to achieve, in fact, that ever since the NBA started recording steals and blocks in players' box scores (from the 1973-74 season), only 10 players have posted a five-by-five. Draymond Green is the only active player to post the stat, while only three players have done so on multiple occasions - Green, Hakeem Olajuwon (aka The Dream) and Andrei Kirilenko (AK47).
As it already indicates, only two-way basketball players who can ball unselfishly at a high level are putting up the stat line.
Honourable Mention:
LeBron James
While the King has had an illustrious 14 years in the league as a nightly triple-double threat, his efforts on the defensive end have been less than stellar in recent years, as he tends to coast through regular season games without applying himself too much on the less glamorous end of the floor.
At nearly 33 years old, LeBron James' best defensive days are almost certainly behind him, and even though he is in red hot form this season as an MVP frontrunner, the players in the next few slides are better defenders and also have more shots at making the stat line on account of being younger.
So without further ado, let's begin the countdown of the active players most likely to post a five-by-five before hanging up their boots.
#5 Paul George
Oklahoma City Thunder's blockbuster offseason acquisition may not be lighting up the scoring charts with the regularity that he did with the Pacers, but Paul George is more than adequate on the offensive end for the Thunder on his usual form.
His impact has been much greater on the defensive end, as his proactive play has helped the Thunder force, on an average, 17.2 deflections per game - that figure is 2.1 better than the Raptors who rank second. George is also leading the league in steals this season and is on pace to finish the season with over 200, at a 2.5 per-game clip.
He is also one of the best shot blockers playing at the small forward position with his wingspan, though he is yet to show that side of his game in more than small spurts (he routinely guards the opposition's best forward/center for entire game lengths, which might contribute to his low block totals).
With at least 2 more full-length contracts left to play for, PG-13 is one of the best bets in the league to put up a five-by-five on any given night.
#4 Anthony Davis
The reigning All-Star game MVP has been one of the league's best defenders since the very first time he played an NBA game (it probably helped that he was a member of the Redeem Team in 2012, which was riddled with defensive superstars).
Davis has averaged over 2 blocks per game for each of the past four seasons, despite being a relatively undersized center. For much of his New Orleans stint (he only grew to his current height of 6'11" in 2016). He also has a steals rate north of 1 per game and has never averaged less than 1.2 for a season.
With his unique ability to keep up with typical NBA bigs, while being able to effortlessly switch onto smaller, faster guards on the run, Davis can impact a basketball game in ways that few can ever dream of. Should he keep the injury bug away, Davis is an odds-on bet to record a five-by-five before retirement, given that he is still only 24 years old.
#3 Kawhi Leonard
A typically-sized wing player with a 6'7" height, Kawhi Leonard a.k.a The Klaw has an insane wingspan of 7'3" to go with gigantic hands - his hands are about the same size as 7'2" Shaquille O'Neal.
It goes without saying that such physical tools have enabled Leonard to be one of the greatest perimeter defenders to ever step on the hardwood - he already has 2 NBA Defensive Player of The Year titles to his credit.
Where Leonard needed to make strides was in his offensive game, and his 2017 playoff stat line of 27.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 4.6 apg is proof of his advancements on the scoring-playmaking side.
Leonard is just 26 years old despite giving the impression that he's been around forever. With over 10 years of his career left, and him going into the peak of his physical fitness now, expect him to keep posting monster games every once in a while. Fortune permitting, he shall retire with at least one five-by-five to his name.
#2 Kevin Durant
The 2013-14 regular season MVP Kevin Durant has morphed into the league's biggest two-way threat based on the evidence we have this season - he is second in the league in blocks per game while putting up nightly numbers of 25.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 5.3 apg, playing alongside three other perennial All-Stars.
He is also one of the few players who can guard any opposition player - his lanky 7-footed frame with a wingspan of 7'5" can put the world's best shooters in a spot of bother any time he switches onto them.
The Slim Reaper got his first triple-double of the season against Hornets this week, benefiting statistically with Steph Curry sidelined for over a fortnight. On his next outing against the Pistons, KD went off for 36 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 blocks - he even threw in a steal for good measure.
Judging by how close he came to a five-by-five there, and given the fact that he has at least half a decade more at his prime, KD is probably an odds-on favorite to become the next player to record a five-by-five.
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Imagine the picture of the NBA today if Giannis' upside had been bet on by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2013 draft. Looking at the Greek Freak's MVP-level play this season, it is hard to believe that 6 swingmen were drafted earlier than him.
As it stands, Giannis is the only player in NBA history to finish a regular season campaign as a top-20 player in all 5 of the major statistics, league-wide. In addition, he paced the entire Bucks roster in all 5 of those categories as well.
His 2017-18 stat line makes for a mindboggling read: 29.5 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.7 spg, 1.7 bpg. While his assist numbers are down from last season, the drop can be attributed to the acquisition of Eric Bledsoe in one of the first trades of this regular season, finally handing the Bucks a legitimate scoring point guard to pair with Giannis on the pick and roll.
One would have to be a brave man to bet against Giannis finishing with a five-by-five by the end of his career.
Guess the Lakers players!
