Key takeaways
- A double-double is 10 or more in two of five stats in one game: points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots.
- Three categories make a triple-double, four a quadruple-double and all five a quintuple-double.
- Only four official quadruple-doubles exist in the NBA: Nate Thurmond, Alvin Robertson, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson.
- Steals and blocks have only been officially recorded in the NBA since 1973–74, which limits historical comparisons.
- Wilt Chamberlain holds the career double-double record with 968; Oscar Robertson, Nikola Jokić and Russell Westbrook have averaged a triple-double for a season.
"He had a triple-double" is one of basketball's quickest compliments: it means a player did a lot of different things well in one game. The terms come from the box score, and the rules are simple once you know which five numbers count. This guide uses Wikipedia's article on double-doubles, which covers the whole family, and works through examples.
The five categories
A "double" is a double-digit total, 10 or more, in a statistical category in one game. Five categories count:
| Category | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Points | PTS |
| Rebounds | REB |
| Assists | AST |
| Steals | STL |
| Blocked shots | BLK |
Then count how many reached 10:
| Name | Categories at 10 or more |
|---|---|
| Double-double | Two |
| Triple-double | Three |
| Quadruple-double | Four |
| Quintuple-double | All five |
Worked box-score examples
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 24 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | Double-double (points, rebounds) |
| B | 15 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 0 | Double-double (points, assists): 9 rebounds falls one short |
| C | 18 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | Triple-double (points, rebounds, assists) |
| D | 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 10 | Quadruple-double (points, rebounds, assists, blocks) |
| E | 41 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | None: one double-digit category |
Player E shows the point of the stat: a 41-point game is not a double-double, because it is one category, not two. The milestones reward breadth, not volume. How to read a basketball box score explains every column these numbers come from.
Why the history is tricky
There is an important asterisk. Wikipedia notes that the NBA did not begin officially recording steals and blocks until the 1973–74 season, so quadruple-doubles and five-category feats are only possible in the official record from then on. Earlier claims, such as reconstructions of an unofficial Wilt Chamberlain quintuple-double in 1968, are not recognised as official league records.
The records
From Wikipedia's article, as it stood when we checked it in October 2026 (active players' totals can change):
| Record | Holder |
|---|---|
| Most career double-doubles in the NBA | Wilt Chamberlain, 968 |
| Longest run of consecutive double-doubles | Wilt Chamberlain, 227, from 1964 to 1967, per the Elias Sports Bureau |
| Most career regular-season triple-doubles | Russell Westbrook, 209 |
| Players to average a triple-double over a season | Oscar Robertson (once), Nikola Jokić (twice), Russell Westbrook (four times) |
| Official NBA quadruple-doubles | Nate Thurmond (1974), Alvin Robertson (1986), Hakeem Olajuwon (1990), David Robinson (1994) |
Nate Thurmond's was the first quadruple-double in league history. Wikipedia also records that triple-doubles became much more common in the modern era, with the NBA total rising from 46 to 75 in the 2015–16 season alone.
What the milestones do and do not tell you
A triple-double is a sign of versatility. It is not a measure of efficiency or of winning. A player can reach 10 assists while also committing many turnovers, or score 10 points on poor shooting. Efficiency measures fill that gap; basketball advanced stats explained covers those, and basketball shot selection explains why some points cost more possessions than others.
A worked comparison. Effective field goal percentage, as Wikipedia defines it, adjusts shooting for the extra point a three is worth: eFG% = (field goals made + 0.5 × threes made) ÷ field goal attempts. Suppose player C's triple-double came from 8 of 20 shooting with no threes, plus 2 free throws: an eFG% of 8 ÷ 20 = 40%. Another player scores 18 on 6 of 10 shooting, including 3 threes, plus 3 free throws, with only 6 rebounds and 4 assists: eFG% = (6 + 1.5) ÷ 10 = 75%. The first line has the milestone; the second used far fewer shots to produce the same points.
Wikipedia notes that the most common double-double pairs points with rebounds, followed by points with assists, so which one a player chases depends on the role; basketball positions explained sets out each role.
In Basketball Career Pro League, one of our sports career games, the box score after each game shows what your player contributed, so chasing your first double-double is a natural early goal; the game guide explains how training feeds those numbers.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a double-double?
Do steals and blocks count for a triple-double?
How many quadruple-doubles have there been in the NBA?
Who has averaged a triple-double for a season?
Sources
- Double-double (including triple-double and quadruple-double) (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia — accessed
- Effective field goal percentage (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia — accessed
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