Fred VanVleet Jokes About Russell Westbrook & Kyle Lowry Chasing Triple-Doubles

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet says he won't hunt triple-doubles like Russell Westbrook and Kyle Lowry

Aaron Rose | Dec 19, 2021

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Fred VanVleet has learned not to tempt the Basketball Gods.

Don't hunt a triple-double, if it comes, it comes, the Toronto Raptors' six-year NBA veteran thought Saturday night as he inched closer and closer to his first career triple-double. At one point, it felt inevitable that he'd reach the milestone as he racked up 20 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds against the undermanned Golden State Warriors. Had he wanted to, he probably could have. Just stop closing out on shooters, hunt rebounds, and tell his teammates to back off and box out for him.

But he couldn't get himself to do it.

"I just can't make myself hunt it the way I need to," he said. "Being the shortest guy on the court doesn't really help chasing the rebounds down and my teammates, they're not giving me the [Russell] Westbrook treatment where they get out the way and let me go get it. I might have to have a talk with them about that."

There was a fear, he said, that if he kept pursuing the milestone something bad would happen. At this point, averaging an NBA-leading 37.9 minutes per game, VanVleet would rather take a breather in a blowout than pursue those rebounds.

"I had the opportunity [to go back in] but with my luck I would get like a very minor injury trying to chase down a rebound or something and be dealing with it all year," he said. "I'm just finally now getting healthy after about a month of a few different things and I'm trying to stay that way."

It was the opposite approach of VanVleet's predecessor Kyle Lowry who has the franchise record with 16 triple-doubles, 13 more than Damon Stoudamire in second.

"Kyle is a lot more relentless than I am," VanVleet joked. "Relentless. I’ll say that. So shout out to him."

One day it'll come naturally, but until then, VanVleet is happy to wait, afraid of what might happen should be play for his stats instead of the team.

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