addByline("Marc D'Amico", "Celtics.com", "Marc_DAmico");
BOSTON – Triple-doubles are hard to come by in the NBA.
That is, if your name isn’t Rajon Rondo.
Rondo served a reminder to NBA fans around the world Wednesday night that he is the NBA’s triple-double king. He recorded the first of his season, and the 30th of his career including postseason play, by notching 13 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists against the Raptors.
Wednesday stands as the third instance in four games in which Rondo has either flirted with a triple-double or attained one. He fell just three rebounds shy of a triple-double on Opening Night when he tallied 13 points, seven boards and 12 assists against Brooklyn. He nearly reached the feat again on Monday in Dallas by scoring seven points to go along with nine rebounds and 15 assists.
Finally, on Wednesday, he made it over the hump. To the place he’s reached more often than any other player since the start of the 2008-09 season.
If we’re being honest, no player is really even threatening Rondo for the NBA’s triple-double throne. Not even the King himself.
LeBron James ranks second on the NBA’s list of triple-double leaders since 2008-09 with 28 of his own. While a difference of two occurrences may not seem like much, it most certainly is. Take into consideration that no player has recorded more than seven triple-doubles in an entire regular season since the 2008-09 season began. These things are typically few and far between.
There’s no need to dive any further into the list. No one else is even within shouting distance.
It appears that Rondo will continue to pull away from his counterparts in the triple-double category this season. The Celtics are playing at an extremely fast pace, the third-fastest in the league. That pace leads to more shot attempts for both teams, which provides more opportunities than ever for Rondo to rack up his points, rebounds and assists.
If it’s up to Rondo, that pace isn’t going to slow down anytime soon. He loves this style of ball and excels while playing it.
“Rondo always dictates that pace, pushes the tempo,” Kelly Olynyk said Wednesday night. “He always is pushing for that outlet, trying to get the ball out of the rim quick… going, going, going.”
Like the Energizer Bunny. Rondo isn’t going to stop. He isn’t even going to slow down. He’s going to keep the pedal to the metal, all the while piling up absurd numbers like these:
Only one other player in the NBA, Ricky Rubio, has dished out more than 14 assists in a single game this season. Rondo has already done that. Twice.
No other player on Boston’s roster has grabbed more rebounds than Rondo, and his average of 9.0 rebounds per game ranks 14th in the entire NBA following Wednesday’s play.
Mind you, this is a point guard we’re talking about. A point guard.
This floor general will undoubtedly continue to rack up triple-doubles this season. As he does, he’ll inch closer and closer to the legend, Larry Bird.
Bird’s 69 career triple-doubles are tops in Celtics history and fifth in NBA history. He tallied those numbers over 12 NBA seasons. Rondo is just beginning his ninth. It would take a heck of a push from Rondo to catch Larry Legend on the list, but it’s certainly possible considering No. 9’s constant flirtation with the unique feat.
Rondo is doing this on a nightly basis, in a way we haven’t seen in quite some time. He’s healthy again, and he’s ready to rack up staggering numbers the way we’ve become accustomed to seeing.
Rondo is the NBA’s triple-double king. There’s no question about that. Wednesday serves as a reminder that anytime you watch this guy play, you might witness royalty making history.