Russell Westbrook added another triple-double to a career full of them, another milestone, another night where the numbers look like something only he could produce. But the moment the NBA world is talking about is not when he made history. It was when Julius Randle was laughing on the Timberwolves bench as Westbrook snagged his tenth rebound in a way every NBA fan instantly recognized.
With the game already decided and the final seconds ticking down, Leonard Miller tossed up a meaningless jumper as the shot clock expired. It missed badly, and Westbrook swooped in for the rebound that sealed his 13 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds triple-double in his first start for Sacramento. Westbrook wasn’t stat padding; he was trying to take a last-second attempt as this was an NBA Cup game where point differential still matters.
But Randle couldn’t help it. He turned to his teammates with a grin and said:
“He got Westbrook a triple double.”
Julius Randle laughed at Westbrook for stat padding to a triple double 😭
“He got Westbrook a triple double!” pic.twitter.com/5SVklQey1X
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) November 15, 2025
It was the kind of joke that fit the moment, but it’s something that has followed Westbrook for his entire career. Westbrook has faced stat-padding taunts as he made triple-doubles so normal that people forgot how rare they used to be. What was once legendary became something he did every week. Even at 37, he’s still raking them up. And he’s still getting teased for it whenever a stray rebound looks a little too easy.
The reality is this particular triple-double came on one of the most important nights of his career. Westbrook also crossed 10,000 assists, joining one of the smallest clubs the league has ever seen. Only one other player in NBA history has 25,000 points and 10,000 assists: LeBron James.
You can call it a lot of things, but ‘stat padding’ doesn’t belong anywhere near that conversation. That’s longevity. That’s greatness. That’s someone rewriting the record book one line at a time.
And his production with the Kings shows it isn’t nostalgia propping him up. Westbrook is averaging 14.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.4 assists while shooting 44.1 percent from the field and nearly 40 percent from three. His move into the starting lineup changed Sacramento’s pace instantly.
Randle’s joke wasn’t disrespect. It was a nod to how familiar this all feels. Westbrook has been doing this for so long that even guys who admire him feel comfortable teasing him for chasing down that last rebound. He built his reputation on effort, real effort, the kind that shows up in every loose ball and every transition push.
When a player known for video-game stat lines grabs one more board in the final seconds, of course, the bench is going to laugh. It’s part of the mythology now.
Sacramento didn’t win the game, but Westbrook’s night reminded everyone why he still commands respect. He’ll always have critics. He’ll always hear jokes. But the numbers are the numbers, and no point guard has ever touched the combination he now owns. When you set the standard, people talk. They smile. They poke fun. And then they watch the highlights and remember he’s still doing things most players never come close to even at 37.
