Victor Wembanyama Quadruple-Double Only A Matter Of Time

The April 2 game was the closest the 2023 first-overall draft pick has come to recording a quadruple-double, as he finished one block and two assists away from history.

Wembanyama, who had multiple triple-doubles this season, came relatively close to a quadruple-double a few other times as well:

• Nov. 18 vs. Memphis Grizzlies: 19 points, 13 rebounds, 8 blocks, 4 assists
• Dec. 28 at Portland Trail Blazers: 30 points, 7 blocks, 6 rebounds, 6 assists
• Feb. 12 at Toronto Raptors: 27 points, 14 rebounds, 10 blocks, 5 assists
• Feb. 23 at Los Angeles Lakers: 27 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 blocks
• March 17 vs. Brooklyn Nets: 33 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 7 blocks

In the 2023-24 season, Wembanyama led the league in blocks per game (3.5), more than a full block ahead of the nearest player.

Wembanyama’s more than 230 blocks in this rookie season was already more than 81.4% of all active NBA players.

Wembanyama recording a quadruple-double at some point in his career appears likely, but the +5500 odds offered for only a handful of games make it a massive long shot in 2023-24.

Wembanyama averaged more than 21 points and 10 rebounds per game in his rookie season, so the quadruple comes down to assists and, even more so, his blocks.

Wembanyama had some tricky matchups against imposing bigs like Joel Embiid, Zion Williamson and Nikola Jokic to close out his rookie season, so we don’t like this bet.

That said, the Spurs were scheduled to play the lowly Pistons to close out the year.

The Pistons were one of the worst defensive teams in the league in a number of categories, including points per game (25th) and assists per game (20th). Wembanyama already had a 10-assist game against them and will be looking to end his rookie year on a high note.

This was the season finale for both of these teams, so maybe Wembanyama gets it done.

The last quadruple-double came in early 1994 when Spurs legend and NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson had 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 blocks in a win over the Pistons.

The Admiral finished the 1993-94 season with an NBA-leading 29.8 points per game. He also averaged 10.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists (a career-high) and 3.3 blocks en route to a second-place MVP finish.

Robinson became the second player in franchise history to record a quadruple-double, as Alvin Roberston had one in 1986 when he had 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals against the Suns.

There have been four recorded quadruple-doubles in NBA history:

• 1974: Nate Thurmond: 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, 12 blocks
• 1986: Alvin Robertson: 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals
• 1990: Hakeem Olajuwon: 18 points, 16 rebounds, 11 blocks, 10 assists
• 1994: David Robinson: 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 blocks

That said, there have likely been more, as blocks didn’t become an official stat until the 1973-74 season, which means that Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain played their entire careers without the ability to record a quadruple-double.

Getting a quadruple-double is one of the hardest achievements in sports because it requires a unique skill set. You have to have the ability to score 10 points, the size to grab 10 rebounds, the touch to record 10 assists and the defensive prowess to record either 10 steals or 10 blocks.

It would be easier for a guard to record 10 assists and 10 steals, but nearly impossible for them to get 10 blocks. Big men have a similar issue, as recording 10 rebounds and 10 blocks is easier for them than getting 10 assists.

Draymond Green is the only player in NBA history to record a triple-double without getting 10 points, as he had four points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals in 2017. Remarkably, he finished that game with more blocks (5) than points (4).

No, but Jordan came close. On Jan. 15, 1989, Jordan recorded 42 points, nine rebounds, 11 assists and eight steals against the Boston Celtics. Jordan finished that season with 15 triple-doubles while leading the NBA in scoring for the third straight year.

As of April 2024, James has recorded 111 triple-doubles in his career but hasn’t come close to a quadruple-double. His career-high in steals in a game is seven, and his career-high in blocks is five.

Olajuwon somehow only had one quadruple-double in his career, as he recorded 18 points, 16 rebounds, 11 blocks and 10 assists against the Milwaukee Bucks in 1990 for the third quadruple-double in NBA history.

That said, some believe Olajuwon should have two career quadruple-doubles. He finished a game against the Warriors three weeks earlier with 29 points, 18 rebounds, 11 blocks and 10 assists, but NBA vice president Rod Thorn reviewed the game tape and said that Olajuwon only had nine assists, negating the quadruple-double.

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