Thunder rookie Giddey becomes youngest ever to record triple-double

When the Oklahoma City Thunder drafted Australian teen Josh Giddey sixth overall in 2021, it was an open question whether the seemingly positionless 6-foot-8 prospect had what it took to make his mark stateside.

However, after his performance against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, Giddey's name has already been cemented in the record books. At 19 years and 84 days, the Thunder rookie is now the youngest player to record a triple-double in NBA history.

Giddey finished with 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting (3-of-5 on threes) with 14 assists and 13 rebounds in 36 minutes of action. For good measure, he also tallied four steals in the 95-86 home loss.

Second-year Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball previously held the distinction. The reigning Rookie of the Year recorded his first career triple-double 140 days after his 19th birthday.

Not only was Giddey coming off of a three-game absence due to the league's COVID-19 protocols, but his previous appearance marked the first time in his young career that he had been held scoreless. In the process, he became the first player in half a century to record a double-double without scoring a single point.

Despite authoring a historic moment less than halfway through his first NBA season, Giddey stressed that winning is more significant to him than personal accolades.

"It's cool. As I said earlier in the year, the individual stats are good, you enjoy it for the night," Giddey said postgame, according to Bally Sports Oklahoma. "But as I said, a win is always better than individual stats for me. If I have 0-0-0 and we win, I'm more happy than if I have a triple-double and we lose.

"It's always been that way for me. Always will be. But yeah, it's a cool milestone."