Plenty of reactions poured in after Russell Westbrook officially clinched a season triple-double average.
Russell Westbrook became the alpha of the Oklahoma City Thunder when Kevin Durant left in free agency. So seeing some of his statistical averages increase wouldn’t have been a surprise. However, who would have thought that it had the chance to reach historic numbers, ones we haven’t seen in over 50 years?
On Friday night, Westbrook walked into the game against the Phoenix Suns with a chance at achieving history. If he racked up six assists, it would give him the first triple-double season average since Oscar Robertson in 1962. He came into the night averaging 31.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game.
Well, during the third quarter, Westbrook pulled it off by recording his sixth assist of the night. It officially gave him a triple-double scoring average, giving him a place in history that once seemed impossible to join.
Following this achievement, reactions poured in on Twitter. Everyone was happy to see history being made, along with some calls for him to be the NBA MVP.
Russell Westbrook was moving different this season... he rlly went OFF!! MVP for sure in my eyes
— im washed (@kobefromthetl) April 8, 2017
https://twitter.com/YoungMcFly/status/850552597345845248
What a year for @russwest44. One of the greatest individual seasons not only in basketball but American Sports History. Well done, sir.
— Brice Duke (@DukeBrice) April 8, 2017
Congrats to @russwest44 for one of the best individual @NBA seasons ever. I love his game & answers to stupid questions. #NBAMVP
— B. (@justbmc) April 8, 2017
Big up Big "O" for being a gentleman, role model and gracious as the Amazing Russell Westbrook pursues your excellence. Joie de Vivre
— K Nazir Ingram (@KNazirIngram) April 8, 2017
Russell Westbrook has done what only one other has in NBA History, average a triple double for a season. Never thought I'd see the day
— Chip Brierre (@Chip_Brierre) April 8, 2017
.@russwest44 >>>>>>>>>> @KDTrey5
— luiz 🏴☠️ (@luiz013752) April 8, 2017
Congrats Russell Westbrook, nobody plays basketball harder.
— Sneed (@PursuingLuxury) April 8, 2017
If anybody but @russwest44 gets @NBA MVP... pic.twitter.com/r8pVLEDoti
— Landis Tindell, APR (@landis_tindell) April 8, 2017
This is mostly a positive reaction for Westbrook, pulling off something 52 years in the making. It’s an incredible feat, which will immortalize him in the record books for years to come.
Westbrook’s work still may not earn him the NBA MVP, though, with a player like James Harden putting up terrific numbers for the Houston Rockets. So it may come down to a narrow voting margin between these two when the time comes.
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Will this ever happen again? Maybe not. That was once said about Robertson’s triple-double average, though, something that stood through players like Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and other legendary athletes being in the NBA. Maybe Westbrook will do it again in 2017-18, or someone else will step up and try to achieve this greatness.