Often times on the highlight shows you'll hear the announcer say that a NBA player had a double double. This is the first level of a set of "doubles" that a player could accomplish in a game, with the others being a triple double or a quadruple double.

When assessing doubles you look at a player's score in the following categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals and/or blocked shots. To achieve a double double a player has to have double digit number totals in two of these categories.

Bird and Johnson are the NBA's all-time leaders in triple doubles. (NBA Photos)

A triple double is a statistical measure of a versatile and well-rounded player. A triple double is to have double digit number totals in three of these categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals and/or blocked shots.

Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers and Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics are the NBA's all-time leaders in triple doubles. During their illustrious careers, Magic had 138 total triple doubles, while Bird had 59. Both were generally regarded as the premier players of the 1980s, with Bird winning NBA Championships in 1981,1984, and 1986 and Magic winning titles in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988.

A quadruple double is to have double digit number totals in four of the five categories. This is an extremely rare occurrence, having happened only four times in NBA history, the last time being by David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs on February 17, 1994. In a 115-96 win over the Detroit Pistons, Robinson had a monstrous game, with 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 blocks.