Double-Double in Basketball: Meaning, Examples and Coaching Uses

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A double-double is a basketball stat line. A player reaches 10 or more in two of the five main categories in one game. Those categories are points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Score 20 and grab 10 rebounds, and you have one.

The term is also a burger name, which is why search results mix the two. This guide covers the basketball meaning only. It explains how the stat counts, shows real box score examples, and covers records. Then it shows coaches how to use the stat with their own players.

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TL;DR

  • A double-double is 10 or more in two of five categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks.
  • Most double-doubles are points and rebounds for big players, or points and assists for guards.
  • A triple-double is 10 or more in three categories. It is far rarer.
  • Coaches can use the stat as a quick check of versatility. It should not be the only measure of a player.
  • Track it in practice and games with simple templates and drill logs.

Table of Contents

What counts as a double-double

The rule is simple. A player reaches double figures in two statistical categories in the same game. The league’s youth basketball guide lists the five categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.

The name explains the rule. The first “double” means two categories. The second means double digits in each, as this reference entry on the term describes.

Quick rules to remember:

  • Nine does not count. It must be 10 or more.
  • Both categories must reach 10 in the same game.
  • Totals from different games never add together.
  • Turnovers, fouls and shot attempts are not part of the count.
  • Offensive and defensive rebounds are added together as one total.

The five categories

Category What it measures Typical player type
Points Scoring Any position
Rebounds Securing missed shots Forwards and centers
Assists Passes that lead to a score Guards and playmakers
Steals Taking the ball from the opponent Guards and wings
Blocks Rejecting a shot Centers and forwards

Points with rebounds is the most common pairing for big players. Points with assists is the common pairing for guards, according to the league’s youth basketball guide. Combinations that include steals or blocks are much less common.

Real box score examples

Numbers make the rule clear. Here are a few documented lines.

  • 42 points and 10 rebounds. In a November 2019 game, James Harden recorded this line. His teammate Clint Capela had 16 points and 20 rebounds in the same game, per the box score.
  • 17 points and 10 assists. Steph Curry posted this in an October 2024 game. Deandre Ayton had 10 points and 11 rebounds in the same game, per the game box score.
  • 29 points and 13 rebounds. Anthony Davis completed this line in a double-overtime game in January 2024, per a wire report of the game.

Notice the pattern. Two players on the same team can each get one in the same game. One scores and rebounds. The other scores and passes. That is what balanced production looks like.

Double-double vs. triple-double

A triple-double is 10 or more in three categories. Nearly all of them are points, rebounds and assists, according to the league’s youth basketball guide.

Example: Russell Westbrook had 17 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in an October 2019 game, per the league’s game report. Another: Josh Giddey had 29 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists in November 2025, per StatMuse.

Going higher is rarer still. Only four quadruple-doubles have been officially recorded at the pro level, according to the reference entry. Steals and blocks only became official stats in the 1973-74 season, so earlier games cannot be checked the same way.

Stat line Categories at 10 or more How often
Double-double 2 Regular
Triple-double 3 Rare
Quadruple-double 4 Four official times at the pro level

Records worth knowing

Records give players and teams a target. They also show how hard the stat is to sustain.

  • Wilt Chamberlain has the most career double-doubles with 968. Tim Duncan has the most since 1976 with 841, per ESPN.
  • Chamberlain also holds the record for consecutive games with a double-double: 227, from 1964 to 1967, per the same ESPN report.
  • Domantas Sabonis had 61 straight in the 2023-24 season. That is the longest streak since 1976, per ESPN.
  • Sabonis passed Kevin Love’s post-1976 streak record with his 54th, per CBS Sports.

On December 8, 1961, Chamberlain scored 78 points and grabbed 43 rebounds in one game, per Sporting News. That is a double-double with room to spare.

Where the name comes from

The term spread in the 1980s. The first known use came in 1985. It is thought to be a play on the name of a double cheeseburger that had been on a menu since the mid-1960s, per SI.com. That explains why the food meaning shows up in search.

Why coaches should care about the stat

A double-double is a quick signal. It shows a player influenced two parts of the game. SI.com’s Nate Cunningham calls it a pulse check on versatility and a sign of two-way contribution.

For a coach, that translates into three questions:

  1. Is the player more than a one-way contributor? A guard with points and assists is creating for others, not only shooting.
  2. Is the player working on both ends? Rebounds, steals and blocks come from effort on defense.
  3. Does the production repeat? One game is noise. A pattern over ten games tells you something.

The stat is not the whole picture. A player can score 10 and grab 10 while taking bad shots. Another can set screens, rotate on defense and never reach double figures. Use the double-double as one data point next to film and practice habits.

Why it is rare at the top

In the 2024-25 pro season, 2,245 double-doubles were recorded across 1,230 games, per NBA Fantasy Basketball. The most reliable producers that season were Sabonis (61), Nikola Jokic (59), Ivica Zubac (59), Karl-Anthony Towns (58) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (55).

Those numbers show that even the best players get one in only part of their games. At the youth or high school level, expect the same: a few players, a few games.

Why it is rare at the top

How to track double-doubles with your team

You do not need software. You need a consistent process.

Step 1: Pick the categories that fit your roster

Not every player will pair points and rebounds. Decide what each role should target:

Step 2: Record every game

Use a simple sheet. Log points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks for each player. Mark the games where any player reaches 10 in two categories. After 10 games, review the pattern.

Five basketball stat categories for tracking

Step 3: Connect the numbers to practice

Stats should change what you run. If your guard has 7 assists but 6 turnovers, drill decisions. Our guard drills train game reads. If your point guard struggles to set up teammates, review the point guard offense roles.

If your big players miss rebounds, run rebounding work. Our page on rebounding drills and practice plans is a starting point.

Step 4: Design plays that create the stat

A double-double does not happen by accident. Plays can put a player in position to score and pass, or score and rebound. Dribble drive actions create passes and drives. Read about player roles in dribble drive offense to see how the roles feed assists and scoring.

Step 5: Set goals that are honest

Pick targets a player can reach. For a young player, 10 points and 6 rebounds is a real step. Raise it as the season goes. Praise the habits that produce the stat: boxing out, cutting hard, making the extra pass.

Our perspective

We build coaching resources from real practice work. Here is how we see the double-double.

It is a result, not a plan. Players do not get one by chasing numbers. They get one when the practice plan trains the right habits: boxing out, driving and kicking, reading the help defense.

So we start with the habit. Then we build the drill. Then we build the play that uses it.

Our playbooks give you the actions. Our drills train the skills behind them. Our templates give you a place to log the results. Each piece is made to adapt to your team, whether you coach youth, high school or beyond.

The stat tells you what happened. Your plan decides what happens next.

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What you can get:

Want a specific play? Try the Double Drag Multiple Option Offense. Prefer more shooting looks? See the Double Exit Play For Shooters. Browse everything at Hoop Mentality.

Common mistakes when using the stat

Coaches often make the same errors. Avoid these:

  • Chasing the number. A player who hunts rebounds out of position hurts the defense. Teach the role first.
  • Ignoring minutes. Ten rebounds in 35 minutes and in 12 minutes are not the same. Compare per-minute output when you can.
  • Judging one game. Look at five to ten games before you change a role.
  • Forgetting the guards. Points and assists count the same as points and rebounds. Give guards the same credit.
  • Skipping the film. The box score says what. Film says why.

FAQ

What is a double-double in basketball?

It is a game in which a player gets 10 or more in two of five categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. The most common pairing is points and rebounds. Guards often get points and assists, per the league’s youth basketball guide.

Is a double-double 10 points and 10 rebounds only?

No. Points and rebounds is the most common pair, but any two of the five categories count. Ten assists and 10 steals would qualify. Both numbers must reach 10 or more in the same game.

What is the difference between a double-double and a triple-double?

A double-double needs two categories at 10 or more. A triple-double needs three. Most triple-doubles are points, rebounds and assists, per the league’s youth basketball guide. They are much rarer.

Who has the most double-doubles ever?

Wilt Chamberlain has the most career double-doubles with 968, according to ESPN. Tim Duncan leads since 1976 with 841. Chamberlain also has the longest streak at 227 games.

How can a coach use the stat?

Use it as a quick check of versatility. It shows whether a player affects two parts of the game. Pair it with film and practice habits, and log it game by game in a simple tracking template.

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