LOS ANGELES — LeBron James completed his triple-double collection on Tuesday.
With 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 112-107 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar became the first player in league history to log a triple-double against all 30 NBA teams, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
James has handed out triple-doubles to opponents throughout his career the way Oprah Winfrey once gifted cars to her audience, but he’s upped his rate this season. The Thunder game was James’ fifth triple-double through 14 games, which included a stretch of three straight triple-doubles during a 3-0 road trip through Dallas, San Antonio and Chicago.
He came into the night averaging 25 points, 7.6 rebounds and a league-leading 11.2 assists per game in this, his 17th season.
James edged Russell Westbrook to become the first to achieve the feat. Westbrook, coincidentally, also only has the Thunder missing from his triple-double resume; he played in Oklahoma City his entire career before being traded to the Houston Rockets this offseason.
Lakers assistant coach Jason Kidd is third with triple-doubles against 28 teams, Larry Bird is fourth (25) and Magic Johnson is fifth (24). However, Bird and Johnson played the bulk of their careers before the league had two rounds of expansions.
James now has 86 career triple-doubles, which ranks fifth all time.