# basketball question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-question/149006 "2003-01-16T17:29:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![High\_Deity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9a140/32.png) [@High\_Deity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/High_Deity)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-question/149006/1 "2003-01-16T17:29:35Z")
I’ve always wondered this… when watching sports shows do basketball highlights, they sometimes mention that a player got a “tripple double”, or a “double double”. What is that? Are there any similar catagories? Where did the names come from? ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-question/149006/2 "2003-01-16T17:36:43Z")
When a player scores in double digits (ten or more points) and has ten or more assists OR ten or more rebounds, they have had a Double Double. If the score ten or more, have ten or more assists, AND ten or more rebounds, then it is a Triple Double. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-question/149006/3 "2003-01-16T18:07:48Z")
Like UB said, To further explain; An assist is a pass that leads directly to a basket scored. A rebound can be defensive or offensive. Triple doubles are somewhat rare. One or two a week in the entire NBA is not uncommon. [Here](http://www.nba.com/features/kidd_tripdub_feature.html) is a cite. Oscar Robertson averaged a triple double for an entire season once. Amazing!! ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-question/149006/4 "2003-01-16T18:08:36Z")
Or the even rarer “quadruple double” which means the player got 10 or more steals or blocks. There have only been a handful of those in NBA history. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-question/149006/5 "2003-01-16T18:17:41Z")
Four to be exact. The Admiral was the last to get the Quad. Feb 17, 1994. 34 points 10 rebs 10 assists 10 blocks ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-question/149006/6 "2003-01-16T18:30:40Z")
Damn. That’s good. ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-question/149006/7 "2003-01-16T19:43:43Z")
The triple double has been well explained above. Just a few more notes: -A double double is extremely common, hence explaining why no one pays attention to it. -For more on the Big O’s freakishly outstanding season, [read about it on his site.](http://www.thebigo.com/pages/40thAnniversary.html) -[Nate Thurmond](http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/Thurmond.htm), the first ever quadruple double. -David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Alvin Robertson garnered the other quad-doubles. -While he didn’t average a triple double, I am inclined to say that [Wilt Chamberlain’s](http://espn.go.com/nba/s/1999/1012/110554.html) 1967-1968 season was just as impressive considering the sheer weight of his scoring and rebounding numbers and the fact that, as the dominant scoring center of his time, he also lead the league in assists. ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basketball-question/149006/8 "2003-01-16T19:47:14Z")
For a comparison of [double doubles](http://www.nba.com/statistics/default_regular_season_leaders/LeagueLeadersDD2Query.html) versus [triple doubles](http://www.nba.com/statistics/default_regular_season_leaders/LeagueLeadersTD3Query.html) that have happened this season. Clearly if Troy Murphy can rack up 18 double doubles in a year, than it is not exactly a rare feat.