NBA Finals: Triple-double leaders in NBA Finals history

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LeBron James and Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson recorded his first career Finals triple-double, as a rookie, in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers. At the end of his career, after 50 Finals games, Johnson finished with an NBA record of eight triple-doubles. 

That record was broken 26 years later by LeBron James in Game 4 of the 2017 NBA Finals. A year later, the King extended his lead atop the list with another triple-double in Game 3 of the 2018 NBA Finals. 

MORE: Single-game records in NBA Finals history

In Game 3 of the 2020 NBA Finals, Jimmy Butler recorded a triple-double of 40 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds, giving him the first Finals triple-double of his career. In scoring 40 points to record the feat, he joined James and Hall of Famer Jerry West as the only players in NBA history to have a 40-point triple-double in the Finals.

A few games later, Butler, in just his fifth Finals game, recorded another triple-double with 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists - becoming only the second player ever after LeBron James to have multiple 30-point triple-doubles in a Finals series.

Here's the complete list of players with multiple NBA Finals triple-doubles:

Player NBA Finals games Finals triple-doubles
LeBron James 54 10
Magic Johnson 50 8
Draymond Green 28 3
Larry Bird 31 2
Walt Frazier 17 2
Wilt Chamberlain 35 2
Bob Cousy 42 2
Bill Russell 70 2
Jimmy Butler 5 2

A total of 13 players have one Finals triple-double to their name – Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Jason Kidd, James Worthy, Tim Duncan, Rajon Rondo, Dave Cowens, Wes Unseld, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor.

What is a triple-double?

A triple-double is when a player reaches double figures in three of the following five statistical categories – points, rebounds, assists, steals or blocks.

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