Oklahoma City fans were treated to a historic performance Wednesday night as nineteen-year-old guard Josh Giddey joined the legendary Oscar Robertson as the only rookies to record three straight triple-doubles.
Giddey had 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the Thunder’s114-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center.
“Anytime you can be mentioned with them it’s good, but as I always say, it’s always about the team,” Giddey said. “A win tonight would’ve been great … That’s why New York was so special,” per The Oklahoman.
“I thought he played a really good floor game again tonight,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said, per The Oklahoman. “The triple-double stuff is just a byproduct of how he’s playing.”
Giddey notched a triple-double in a loss against the Chicago Bulls Saturday night and another in a win against the New York Knicks Monday at Madison Square Garden.
Still, triple-doubles and making history are nothing new for Giddey, who chose Australia’s National Basketball League over offers from Arizona, Colorado, and Baylor.
“I went on a visit to Colorado, but I just thought the NBL would be better for my long-term goal of playing in the NBA.”
During his first and only season with the Adelaide 36ers, Giddey became the youngest Australian ever at the age of 18 to record a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a loss to the New Zealand Breakers.
He became the first Australian to record back-to-back triple-doubles in his next game with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists against the Brisbane Bullets.
Giddey was named NBL Rookie of the Year, and the Thunder picked him sixth in the first round of the 2021 Draft
This season, the Aussie native has four triple-doubles and is averaging 12.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists.
Giddey moved up to third on the Kia Rookie Ladder this week and will participate in the Clorox Rising Stars and the Taco Bells Skills Challenge during All-Star Weekend.