LOS ANGELES — Josh Giddey is on the heels of Michael Jordan in one key statistic.
The Chicago Bulls guard on Friday surpassed Jordan in all-time triple-doubles in a 119-108 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Giddey posted 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his 29th triple-double of his five-year career, moving to 20th on the NBA leaderboard.
Giddey is quickly closing the gap on the franchise record for triple-doubles that the Hall of Famer set in the 1980s and ’90s. It’s a question of when, not if. Giddey last week surpassed Scottie Pippen with his 16th triple-double with the Bulls, achieving that milestone in only 110 games. Giddey sits 10 triple-doubles behind Jordan’s franchise record.
Giddey, who played the first three seasons of his career in Oklahoma City, has 18 triple-doubles in 115 appearances with the Bulls, which roughly translates to a triple-double every 6.4 games. Jordan set the record with a pace of one triple-double every 33 games. If Giddey maintains this pace, he could match Jordan’s record by the end of next season, but he’s under contract through 2030. And at this rate, Giddey won’t just break Jordan’s record — he’ll shatter it.
Before ’90s fans start a commotion: Yes, there are several factors that make triple-doubles significantly more attainable in the modern NBA than in the three decades prior. Even Giddey pointed out this fact after Friday’s game.
“The game’s changed,” Giddey said. “Triple-doubles back then might not be what they are today. But any time your name is mentioned with greats like that, it’s always an honor.”
For starters, the proliferation of the 3-point shot overhauled individual scoring dynamics. In general, NBA players score more per game now than they did in the ’90s. On average, Giddey has taken 2.4 times more attempts from behind the 3-point arc in his tenure with the Bulls than Jordan throughout his career in Chicago.
Giddey still scores only half as many points per game as Jordan — who averaged a mind-boggling 31.5 points in 13 seasons with the Bulls — but his scoring profile reflects the reality that comfortably averaging double-digit points is more of a given in 2026.
The increased pace of play across the league also contributes to higher averages in major statistics such as rebounds and assists. The Boston Celtics were the fastest team during the 1997-98 season with an average pace of 94.9 possessions per game. This season, the slowest team in the league (remarkably, also the Celtics) posts an average pace of 95.33 possessions. The result is a simple math equation. More possessions mean more shots. Made shots beget more assists. Missed ones beget more rebounds.
Plenty of other changes to the game — for instance, the shift in leniency of assist tracking — have irrevocably recontextualized the gravity of a triple-double. Heck, Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić is averaging a triple-double this season and still isn’t a surefire lock for the league’s Most Valuable Player.
This context shouldn’t detract from the magnitude of surpassing a Jordan record. Modernization often comes with change — Zach LaVine, for instance, set a franchise record in 3-pointers in 2021. Still, in the dregs of a losing season, it’s fair to ask what Giddey’s output means for the Bulls offense.
Giddey doesn’t fit any standard archetype. Although he occupies the point guard role for the Bulls, his frame is that of a small forward at 6-foot-7, a size advantage that allows him to contribute significantly on the boards. Although he has improved his 3-point shot, Giddey still relies heavily on downhill drives to generate the bulk of both his attempts and assists.
Coach Billy Donovan values the consistency with which the guard can act as a driving force for a Bulls offense that often stalls in the half-court.
“It just shows you Josh’s ability to impact the game on a lot of different levels,” Donovan said. “Whether he gets a triple-double or not, to me it’s more about what the team needs in that situation.”
Still, Giddey’s versatility hasn’t been able to buoy the Bulls on its own. He commands a considerable amount of on-ball usage to reach his peak effectiveness. His scoring numbers rarely reach the peaks necessary to lift a player from contributor to star. And even with his consistency as a triple-double machine, the Bulls field the seventh-worst offense in the NBA as they struggle to produce consistent scoring.
Despite the enormity of Giddey’s individual accolades, the Bulls are still searching for an offensive identity. Giddey could be the key. But the guard still can’t bring the firepower necessary to lift a sluggish Bulls offense — at least not on his own.
