Double-Double and Triple-Double: What They Mean
A double-double and a triple-double are shorthand for a big all-around night. Both count how many statistical categories a player hits double figures in. Double means two categories. Triple means three. The number that matters is 10: cross it in enough columns and you have earned the label. Here is how each one works, which stats count, and why a triple-double turns heads.
3 min read · Reviewed July 2026
The 10-or-more rule
A double-double means a player finishes with 10 or more in two of the five counting categories. A triple-double means 10 or more in three of them. That is the entire rule. There is no bonus for how far past 10 you go. Twelve points counts the same as twenty-five toward the label; both clear double figures.
The five eligible categories are points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Statside tracks all five and flags the milestone automatically from your box score, so you do not have to eyeball a stat line to know when a player got there.
double-double = 2 categories with total >= 10; triple-double = 3 categories with total >= 10
- ·categories = points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks
- ·10 is the threshold in each category, counted independently
Which categories usually get there
In practice, most double-doubles and triple-doubles come from points, rebounds, and assists. Those are the three stats a busy player racks up in bulk. A scoring guard piles up points and assists. A big who owns the glass piles up points and rebounds. Reaching 10 steals or 10 blocks in a single game is extremely rare, so those two categories almost never carry a milestone on their own.
When you see a triple-double, it is nearly always points, rebounds, and assists. That combination rewards a player who scores, cleans the boards, and sets up teammates in the same night.
A triple-double is rare
A double-double is common. Plenty of centers post 10 points and 10 rebounds on an ordinary night, and it barely makes the recap. A triple-double is a different animal. Doing three things at a high level in one game is hard, and most players go a full season without one.
That rarity is exactly why the triple-double gets called out. It signals a complete performance, not just a hot shooting streak. When Statside flags one on a public team page, it is worth the note.
A worked example
Say a point guard finishes with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists. Three categories clear 10, so that is a triple-double. Points, rebounds, and assists all sit in double figures, and the steals and blocks columns do not even need to be checked.
Now trim that same line to 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists. Only two categories reach 10, points and assists, because 8 rebounds falls short. That is a double-double, not a triple-double. One column dropping below 10 is the whole difference.
24 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists = triple-double (three columns at 10+). Drop the rebounds to 8 and it becomes a double-double (only points and assists clear 10).
Key takeaways
- A double-double is 10 or more in two categories; a triple-double is 10 or more in three.
- The five eligible stats are points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
- Points, rebounds, and assists carry almost every milestone; 10 steals or 10 blocks is rare.
- Only crossing 10 matters. Going far past it does not add anything to the label.
- 24 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists is a textbook triple-double.
Frequently asked
What is a double-double?
A double-double is a single-game stat line where a player reaches 10 or more in two of the five counting categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, or blocks. The most common version is 10-plus points and 10-plus rebounds.
What is a triple-double?
A triple-double is when a player reaches 10 or more in three of the five categories in one game. It is almost always points, rebounds, and assists, for example 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists.
Which stats count toward a double-double or triple-double?
Five categories count: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Each is judged on its own, and a player needs 10 or more in that column for it to count.
Why is a triple-double considered rare?
Hitting double figures in three categories means a player scored, rebounded, and created for teammates all in the same game. That balance is hard, so many players go a whole season without one.