With this season’s NBL awards night in only two weeks, Kings ‘Swiss army knife’ Xavier Cooks may have locked up this year’s MVP award after recording the first triple-double for this season and almost guaranteed Sydney’s first-place finish in the regular season.

13,273 roaring fans at Qudos Bank Arena witnessed Cooks’s brilliance as he recorded 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to deliver a 111-106 Kings victory over the South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Cooks became the first King since Dontaye Draper in 2008 and the first NBL player to get a triple-double since Josh Giddey in 2021.

This marks Xave’s triple-double!

First player in #NBL23 to get a triple-double this season, the first King since Dontaye Draper in 2008, and the fifth King ever ?#WeTheKings pic.twitter.com/MPx9a1hA2N

— Sydney Kings (@SydneyKings) January 29, 2023

Giddey’s triple-double came during a rare season in 2021 when fans witnessed five triple-double performances over the course of one season.

When Giddey collected 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 101-79 win over Brisbane, he became the first Australian ever to record back-to-back triple-doubles. A week later, he surprised everybody, recording his third triple-double in four games. His 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds against the Sydney Kings saw him become the first Aussie to record three triple-doubles in one season.

Adelaide star Josh Giddey (@joshgiddey) Triple Double vs Sydney Kings | 11 PTS 12 AST 12 REBS

?3rd Triple Double of the season
?Projected Lottery Picks
?Leads the @NBL in assist
?Turns 19 in Octoberhttps://t.co/PaMToOdvjR pic.twitter.com/MIOQoQTFgY

— Next Ones (@NXT1S) May 14, 2021

Youngest Australian in NBL history to record a triple double ?@joshgiddey making history on his way to the 2021 NBA Draft #NBL21 pic.twitter.com/bNnnkI60CS

— The NBL (@NBL) April 26, 2021

2021 also saw three different players notch up triple-doubles, something that had only happened once before, back in the 2003/04 season, when Glen Saville, Sam MacKinnon, and Rashad Tucker all achieved the feat. Coincidentally, this was the same year Giddey celebrated his first birthday.

It’s worth noting that during the 2003/04 season, Tucker also set the record for triple-doubles in a season, recording six triple-doubles across 28 games while playing with the Perth Wildcats.

The other triple-double efforts in 2021 were Keifer Sykes’s 14-point, 10-rebound, and 11-assist night when the South East Melbourne Phoenix defeated the Brisbane Bullets, 99-83, which earned glowing praise from teammate Mitch Creek at the time.

“That’s one of his better games across the board statistically. 11 dimes in this league is really hard to come by and then to also pour in a bunch of points and 10 boards, he was the catalyst in that third and fourth quarter when we really held our lead by swooping in on those rebounds” said Creek

“He’s the smallest guy on the court and he got the most boards out of everyone on the court which is incredible. I love playing with him, I can’t wait to play many more games with him”.

Triple. Double. Alert.

Shouts Sykes ?@ksykesyb #BNEatSEM #NBLCup #NBL21 pic.twitter.com/Oesv6ShN62

— The NBL (@NBL) February 21, 2021

Not long after that, in only his second game for New Zealand, William McDowell-White racked up double figures in three categories when he had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists, also in a victory over the Bullets on the 17th of April.

TRIPLE DOUBLE TROUBLE.

Will McDowell-White joins Cedric Jackson as just the second player to have a triple-double for the @NZBreakers ?#NBL21 pic.twitter.com/j4zIcZRyfx

— The NBL (@NBL) April 16, 2021

Prior to this season, the last time we saw a player notching up double-digits in three areas was the 2020 NBL Rookie Of The Year LaMelo Ball, who made history by becoming the youngest player ever to achieve the feat.

His first triple-double, 32 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, came in an overtime victory against Cairns. Then, to show NBA scouts he could replicate the effort in regulation, he followed it up with another triple-double in his next game. He filled the box score with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists against the New Breakers, which featured fellow Next Star RJ Hampton on the roster.

You saw it first in the NBL.

November 25, 2019 – LaMelo Ball becomes the youngest NBL player with a triple double.

January 10, 2021 – LaMelo Ball becomes the youngest NBA player with a triple double.

Congratulations to @MELOD1P, and be assured the #NBLxNBA pathway is legit ? pic.twitter.com/3aWtEDmazx

— The NBL (@NBL) January 10, 2021

Nathan Sobey is the only other NBL player to record a triple-double. While playing for the Adelaide 36ers, Sobey tallied 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 91-83 win over his former team, Cairns.

Sobey’s triple-double was the first after a triple-double drought of close to a three-year period where no player had been able to replicate the feat.

.@Adelaide36ers hero Nathan Sobey threw his name into the MVP favourites mix after picking up a rare triple-double against the Taipans. The 28-year-old is the first player to record the feat since 2015, further enhancing his potential to play in the NBA. @andrew_hayes7 #7News pic.twitter.com/BM3JFmPZkL

— 7 News Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) October 27, 2018

Other notables in the club include Cedric Jackson, who was responsible for recording his fifth and last triple-double the three years prior, Daren Rowe, who in 1990 recorded the only quadruple-double in NBL history. With his 25 points, 17 rebounds, 11 assists and 11 steals as a Geelong Supercat, being the only time a player has had double figures in four different categories. And the all-time leader for triple-doubles, Robert Rose. Rose recorded double figures in three categories an amazing thirteen times across his 16-year career.

Putting up a triple-double is a feat few NBL players achieve, but notching one up in an NBL elimination game that’s even more impressive.

Adelaide 36ers Butch Hays recorded the NBL’s first triple-double in the postseason when he put up 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 17 assists against Melbourne in Game 2 of the 1991 elimination finals, which saw them progress to a semi-final match-up with the Perth Wildcats.

To date, the only triple-double ever recorded during the NBL Finals is Darryl McDonald, who notched up five triple-doubles during his NBL career, none more crucial than his 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists effort in Game 1 of the 1994 NBL Finals.

Game 1 was held in Adelaide, and after McDonald backed down 36ers guard Phil Smyth before hoisting up a wild shot that missed its mark, the game headed into overtime.

McDonald made sure history didn’t repeat itself during the overtime period, nailing a one-handed floater from the elbow and giving the Giants a 1-0 lead in the series.

McDonald’s triple-double, all-round brilliance, and crushing buzzer-beater demoralised the 36ers, who were soundly beaten 117-97 in Game 2, as the Giants became NBL champions.

McDonald’s triple-double, all-around brilliance and crushing buzzer-beater demoralised the 36ers, who were sounded beaten 117-97 in Game 2. The Giants became NBL champions.

See below for the full list of players in the NBL’s Triple Double Club.

ALL-TIME NBL TRIPLE-DOUBLES

Check out our NBL All-Time Statistics section for more historical stats.

Dan Boyce (811 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.