There have only been four official quadruple-doubles in NBA history. We examine each jaw-dropping performance and discuss who might be next to join elite company.
Triple-doubles have become quite common in today’s NBA, especially with players like Russell Westbrook and Nikola Jokić making the feat look way too easy in recent years.
Quadruple-doubles, however, remain extremely rare. In fact, there have only been four official quadruple-doubles throughout NBA history.
What does it mean to have a quadruple-double? Which players have accomplished the historic feat? And which player came closest to recording a quadruple-double most recently?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll answer all of these questions and revisit every quadruple-double in league history.
What Is a Quadruple-Double?
When a player reaches double figures in four of the five statistical categories — points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks — he or she has achieved a quadruple-double.
For example, if a player has 10 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks, this would be a quadruple-double.
The NBA’s official definition for triple-doubles notes that “reaching double figures in steals or blocks is extremely rare,” which explains why there have only been four quadruple-doubles throughout NBA history.
It’s worth mentioning that no NBA player has ever recorded 10 blocks and 10 steals in the same game. Hakeem Olajuwon came the closest against the Seattle SuperSonics on March 10, 1987, finishing with 38 points, 17 rebounds, 12 blocks, and 7 steals. He’s the only player in NBA history to record at least 7 blocks and 7 steals in the same game.
Quadruple-Doubles: The 4 NBA Players Who Have Done It
Only four players in NBA history have recorded a quadruple-double: Nate Thurmond, Alvin Robertson, Olajuwon and David Robinson. Let’s review each jaw-dropping performance:
Nate Thurmond: Oct. 18, 1974
On this day, Thurmond played in his first game as a member of the Chicago Bulls, and his debut couldn’t have gone better. He totaled 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, and 12 blocks while leading the Bulls to a 120-115 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The game went to overtime and Thurmond played 45 minutes, which helped him achieve the feat. But he was clearly in the groove, as he was extremely efficient in this contest, shooting 8-of-12 (66.7%) from the field.
The seven-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive Team selection was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame after his playing days ended. Over the course of his 14-year NBA career, he averaged 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks.
While this was the first official quadruple-double in NBA history, it’s worth noting that the league didn’t start tracking blocks and steals until the 1973-74 season, so it’s quite likely that players like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain recorded unofficial quadruple-doubles prior to this. Still, Thurmond made history, and his quadruple-double stood alone for 12 years until the second one occurred.
Alvin Robertson: Feb. 18, 1986
More than a decade after Thurmond’s performance, Robertson totaled 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals while leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 120-114 win over the Phoenix Suns. While Thurmond had an overtime period to add to his stat totals, Robertson became the first player in NBA history to record a quadruple-double in regulation — doing so in just 36 minutes.
That season, Robertson would go on to win the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award and Most Improved Player award after averaging 17 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 3.7 steals per game. Robertson ultimately became a four-time All-Star, six-time All-Defensive Team selection and three-time steals champion.
To this day, Alvin Robertson is the only guard in NBA history to record a quadruple-double, and he’s the only player to achieve this feat with points, rebounds, assists and steals (the other three were big men who reached double-digits in points, rebounds, assists and blocks).
Hakeem Olajuwon: March 29, 1990
During his prime, Olajuwon had many performances in which he stuffed the stat sheet, including the previously mentioned 1987 outing against Seattle. On March 3, 1990, Olajuwon came one assist shy of a quadruple-double in a win over the Golden State Warriors, finishing with 29 points, 18 rebounds, 11 blocks, 9 assists and 5 steals.
A few weeks later, he wasn’t going to miss out on making history again, totaling 18 points, 16 rebounds, 11 blocks and 10 assists in Houston's 120-94 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Interestingly, the Bucks’ starting point guard in this game was Robertson, who was on the court for two of the four quadruple-double performances in NBA history. Like Robertson, Olajuwon reached these stat totals in regulation, playing 40 minutes.
While the performance carved Olajuwon’s name in the NBA record books, it wasn’t his best game, as he had five turnovers and shot just 6-of-14 (42.9%) from the field. According to Basketball Reference’s Game Score metric, which measures a player’s productivity in a single contest, this was just Olajuwon’s 21st-best performance of the 1989-90 NBA season. His best outing? The near-quadruple-double from three weeks prior.
David Robinson: Feb. 17, 1994
Robinson is the most recent player to record a quadruple-double, but it occurred over three decades ago, during the Spurs' 115-96 win over the Detroit Pistons. Robinson filled the stat sheet to the tune of 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 blocks in 43 minutes.
As was the case with Olajuwon, it was quite common for Robinson to put up massive numbers, so this wasn't even his most impressive performance of the 1993-94 NBA season. According to Basketball Reference's Game Score, Robinson's quadruple-double ranks as his sixth-best outing of that campaign.
His best performance of that season was the 71-point, 14-rebound, 5-assist, 2-block showing he had in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers on the final day of the regular season to secure the NBA’s scoring title over Shaquille O'Neal.
See also:
Quadruple-Doubles In Fantasy Basketball
Since there hasn’t been a quadruple-double since 1994, we haven’t seen one recorded since fantasy basketball blew up and became significantly more mainstream. Sure, there were some diehard fans who tracked stats manually and played fantasy basketball back then, but it was nowhere near as popular as it is today now that the internet (ahem, and Sleeper) has made it much easier to play.
Still, any player who can fill the stat sheet is outstanding in fantasy basketball. Last year, Luka Dončić led all NBA players in fantasy points per game (59.34), followed by Joel Embiid (59.30 FPPG), Nikola Jokić (57.18 FPPG), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (55.75 FPPG). It’s no coincidence that Dončić, Jokić, and Antetokounmpo were also among the league leaders in triple-doubles — all ranking in the top four.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the most recent near-quadruple-double?
On April 2, 2024, Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama recorded 23 points, 15 rebounds, 9 blocks, and 8 assists in a 110-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets. The 20-year-old rookie became the first player in NBA history to record a 20-point, 15-rebound, 8-assist, 8-block game.
Wemby also had a 27-point, 14-rebound, 10-block, 5-assist performance on Feb. 12, 2024 in a win over the Toronto Raptors. He also had a 33-point, 15-rebound, 7-block, 7-assist outing in a win over the Brooklyn Nets on March 17, 2024.
The fact that Wembanyama produced like this as a rookie is wild, so don’t be surprised if he joins the quadruple-double club in the near future.
Spurs players were responsible for two of the four quadruple-doubles in NBA history (Robertson and Robinson), and it feels like just a matter of time before San Antonio adds a third.
Did Michael Jordan ever come close to a quadruple-double?
Michael Jordan never recorded a quadruple-double, but he did come very close. On Jan. 15, 1989, Jordan totaled 42 points, 11 assists, 9 rebounds, and 8 steals in a 110-104 win over the Boston Celtics at Chicago Stadium.
Also, it’s worth noting that Celtics legend Larry Bird came just one steal short of a quadruple-double on Feb. 19, 1985. He tallied 30 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 9 steals in a 110-94 win over the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
What’s a 5x5?
A 5x5 is when a player records at least five of all five major stat categories: five points, five rebounds, five assists, five steals and five blocks. While not as rare as a quadruple-double, this feat doesn’t happen very often either.
Throughout NBA history, only 15 players have recorded a 5x5 performance: George Johnson (1976), Julius Erving (1979), George Gervin (1979), Olajuwon (1987, ‘90, ‘92, ‘93), Robinson (1993), Derrick Coleman (1993), Vlade Divac (1995), Jamaal Tinsley (2001), Andrei Kirilenko (2003, ‘06), Marcus Camby (2004), Nicolas Batum (2013), Draymond Green (2015), Anthony Davis (2018), Jusuf Nurkić (2019) and Wembanyama (2024).
Olajuwon holds the NBA record for most 5x5 games in NBA history, recording six throughout his career.
Has a player ever recorded a quadruple-double with turnovers?
While not an official quadruple-double, fans sometimes jokingly mention players who have achieved the feat by recording a triple-double plus double-digit turnovers.
This has happened twice in NBA history.
In the first instance, Phoenix Suns point guard Jason Kidd recorded 18 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 14 turnovers in a 90-85 loss to the New York Knicks on Nov. 17, 2000.
The second time, Houston Rockets guard James Harden had 30 points, 14 assists, 10 rebounds and 10 turnovers in a 108-99 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on March 7, 2020.
Play Fantasy Basketball With Sleeper
Now that you’ve learned everything you need to know about quadruple-doubles, perhaps you’ll have a greater appreciation for the game’s best stat-stuffers and, given how rare they are, you’ll understand the significance next time one happens.
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