For most NBA teams, triple-doubles have become so routine they barely register beyond a quick highlight reel. But in Utah?
They’re practically unicorn sightings. So when Jusuf Nurkic dropped a 16-point, 18-rebound, 10-assist gem in the Jazz’s win over the Timberwolves on Tuesday night, it wasn’t just a box score filler-it was a moment.
That performance marked only the second triple-double by a Jazz player this entire decade. Let that sink in.
In a league where stars are racking up triple-doubles like they're going out of style, Utah’s had just six regular season triple-doubles since the turn of the century. For whatever reason, the stat line that’s become a benchmark of versatility elsewhere has remained elusive in Salt Lake City.
Jazz fans will remember the last one well. On New Year’s Day 2024, Jordan Clarkson gave the home crowd a moment to remember-even if the game itself was far from memorable.
With Utah up 37 in the fourth quarter against Dallas, Clarkson, sitting on nine rebounds, pleaded to stay in the game. He got his wish, and when the 10th board finally came his way, his teammates cleared out to let him grab it.
The Delta Center erupted like it was Game 7 of the Finals. Head coach Will Hardy called a timeout immediately after, subbing Clarkson out to a hero’s ovation.
He finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists-a stat line that carried more emotional weight than playoff implications.
Before that? You’d have to go all the way back to 2008, when Carlos Boozer was the last Jazz player to post a regular season triple-double.
That said, the Jazz have had a few postseason flashes. In 2018, Ricky Rubio delivered a masterclass against then-MVP Russell Westbrook, going for 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a playoff win.
That was just the second playoff triple-double in franchise history. The first?
A vintage John Stockton performance in 2001, where the Hall of Famer tallied 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists against Dallas. Incredibly, that was the only triple-double of Stockton’s illustrious career-a stat that still surprises even the most die-hard fans.
When you scan the list of Jazz players with multiple triple-doubles, it reads like a who's who of franchise legends. Pete Maravich leads the way with seven, followed closely by Mark Eaton’s six.
Karl Malone and Andrei Kirilenko each notched three. That’s your Mount Rushmore of Utah triple-double history right there.
Now, back to Nurkic-who’s quickly becoming one of the more intriguing storylines of the Jazz season. The big man has shown off his playmaking chops all year, logging five or more assists in 15 games.
And when he’s not on the floor, his absence is noticeable. He’s averaging 10.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game-numbers that reflect his steady impact across the board.
In a franchise where triple-doubles are rare air, Nurkic’s performance wasn’t just statistically impressive-it was a reminder of how valuable a do-it-all big can be in today’s NBA. For a Jazz team still finding its identity, that kind of versatility might just be the foundation they build on.