Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook has received his fair share of criticism during his time with the team, but his ability to stuff the stat sheet put him in some rare company on Tuesday.
Westbrook made a huge impact for the Lakers on Tuesday against the Orlando Magic, putting together a triple-double to help the Lakers get the victory.
This performance is the third triple-double of the season for Westbrook off the bench, which broke the NBA record for the most triple-doubles in a season off the bench and tied former Seattle Supersonics forward Detlef Schrempf for the most off the bench in NBA history.
Russell Westbrook recorded his 3rd triple-double of the season… all of which have come off the bench.
That is the most by anyone off the bench in a season since starters were first listed on box scores in 1970-71. pic.twitter.com/NZjelz74UF
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 28, 2022
Russell Westbrook has now tied Detlef Schrempf for the most triple doubles ever coming off the bench – 3. Despite the deluge of comical turnovers and all-time bad 3-point shooting, Russ is enhancing his Hall of Fame resume!
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) December 28, 2022
Westbrook now holds the record for the most triple-doubles of all time, in a season, off the bench in a season, and he has the most NBA seasons averaging a triple-double.
Russ triple-double records:
— Most all-time
— Most in a season
— Most off the bench (tied)
— Most off the bench in a season
— Most seasons averaging a triple-doubleTriple-Double King. pic.twitter.com/iMkRdAB4OU
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 28, 2022
Many around the NBA world believed at the time that it was a good decision for the Lakers to bring Westbrook off the bench, and this game may be proof that it was the right decision for first-year head coach Darvin Ham.
The Lakers very clearly still need more work to change their struggles this year, sitting at just 14-20 on the year. However, this impressive performance from Westbrook is a glimpse that he can make a real impact for Los Angeles if he’s put in the right situation to thrive on the court.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.