When Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen later joined those players in the league, it almost became unusual when somebody was not recording one every night. Actually, the triple-double had been a common occurrence in the NBA for quite some time. But, the league has only gained its greatest popularity in the last 20 years, had no national television contract before then and no special attention was paid to the accomplishment. It took players like Jordan, Bird, Johnson and Pippen to help the league gain greater stature. They were tremendous all-around players.
Statistics are a big part of sports and the triple-double showed their versatility.
But, pro basketball had yet to gain a national audience and their amazing feats received scant attention across the country. When the triple-double finally began to be recorded regularly, college publicists immediately started searching their records for players who had put up such figures in the past. Entering the current season 16 Atlantic Coast Conference players had been credited with triple-doubles. Despite the many All-Americas and other great stars that had played here, North Carolina did not have a player on that list. Then, as has been well recorded, in a span of three games in December the Tar Heels had two triple-double performances.