Russell Westbrook Averages Triple-Double for 2nd Straight Year

A year ago, Russell Westbrook became the second player in NBA history to record a triple-double over the course of a full season.

On Wednesday, he became the first player to pull off the feat twice.

Westbrook grabbed his 16th rebound in the third quarter of the Oklahoma City Thunder's regular-season finale against the Memphis Grizzlies to clinch the triple-double average for the season. The reigning NBA MVP entered the final two games of the season needing 34 rebounds to finish with at least 10 rebounds per game. He hauled in 18 boards in the Thunder's win over the Miami Heat on Monday.

"I don't think Russell's ever played that way," Thunder head coach Billy Donovan told reporters prior to Wednesday's game when asked if Westbrook would chase the 16 boards. "I think he's always focused on winning.

"He's got a unique ability as a guy that's been able to impact the game with his scoring, his rebounding and his assists, but for me as a coach, the most important thing as a coach is can we build off these last two games on the road and play better and make some improvements and strides. Just being around Russell, I know he's not wrapped up at all in that stuff. He's more wrapped up in winning."

Westbrook's increased focus on the glass has led some criticism that he's chasing rebounds—albeit not from his own locker room. Carmelo Anthony joked Westbrook has been "stealing" rebounds, but he said it helps the team. 

"Sometimes you want to fight him a little bit, push him out of the way," Anthony said Tuesday. "For me, it's good because to have a guard like that to be able to crack back and get rebounds. He steals sometimes. He steals rebounds sometimes. But any time you can have a guard like that to come back and rebound the way he does, because we want to push the break, when he gets it off the rebound he's able to jump start the break and a lot of good things happen from that."

Westbrook bristled at the notion at Wednesday's shootaround.

"A lot of people make jokes about stat-padding or going to get rebounds," Westbrook told reporters. "If people could get 20 rebounds every night, they would. If people could get 15 rebounds, they would. The people that's talking or saying what they need to say, they should try doing it and seeing how hard it is, since everybody wants to be talking.

"Since everybody wants to be talking, I'm tired of hearing the same old rebound this, stealing rebounds, all this s--t. I take pride in what I do. I come out and play, and I get the ball faster than someone else gets to it. That's what it is. If you don't want it, I'm gonna get it. Simple as that."

Ultimately, it's a silly debate. Westbrook is every bit as good of a player grabbing 9.9 rebounds as he is with exactly 10.0. Everyone with a modicum of sense knows this, and Westbrook does as well.

There's just something naturally impressive about a round number; it's human nature. And even if there is some "stat padding" going on, what Westbrook has accomplished the last two years is historic. There's a reason other players—read: every player—pad their stats to some degree, but only two have averaged a triple-double across a season.

And now only one has done it multiple times.