In March 1968, Wilt Chamberlain wore the jersey of the Philadelphia Sixers. The Pennsylvania franchise and its phenomenon, titled for the first time in his career last season, face the Los Angeles Lakers. In the opposite camp were sacred monsters like Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. Helplessly, they attend a recital of the man with 100 points.
On the official game sheet, it is certain who made 53 points, 32 rebounds, and 14 assists which is absurd. At the time, the brand table focused on these three aspects. But in truth, many people present that day made an overall estimate of the other categories that Wilt Chamberlain weighed in.
In addition to his already dizzying 53-32-14, he would have compiled 24 blocks and 11 steals. A stat line that would make this performance the first and only five-double in NBA history. It took only three years for this performance to be considered if it did take place. In 1971, the system evolved to reflect players' performance better statistically.
But tonight, it's official that the first quintuple-double in history occurred. It seemed unimaginable today that a player could even approach this statistical anomaly. It has had none in the NBA. All have been made in women's high school games, Tamika Catchings being the best known.
To achieve even a quadruple-double is miraculous. In the NBA, the last one dates to February 1994, and it is the work of David Robinson, the admiral of the San Antonio Spurs, with 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 blocks. Before him, Hakeem Olajuwon in 1990, Alvin Robertson in 1986, and Nate Thurmond in 1974 had achieved the same feat.
Robertson is the only one who didn't need blocks to pull off his quadruple-double, and he did with the steals.
Hector is a fan of five by five, but he has pushed the bar much higher today. 10 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists, 12 steals, and 10 blocks.
With how the game is played these days, no one thought to imagine that someone could push the boundaries and make this legendary stat line. Wilt was a rare Pokémon who could do things no one else could when he played. And Hector Herrera, this young Mexican, got there.
Hector is a generational anomaly in the eyes of everyone now. What sets Hector apart from all the other centers in the league is that his long arms, mobility, and ability to read passes make him a deadly theft threat for a great man. While other centers focus on rim protection, Hector seamlessly transitioned between rim protector and mobile pickpocket.
Only Olajuwon was in the same register. He is the number one of all time in blocks and the number ten in flights. He is the only player in the top ten in both blocks and steals.
But it's not all. He also broke the record for thefts in a game with 12 steals. No one has done better in the history of the league. The record of five by five was also broken, with now, with seven to his credit, he also becomes the only one in history to achieve as much. He is only 22 years old. We wonder how much he will finish.
What makes a performance a legendary performance? For example, Devin Booker against Boston scored 70 points. But the match had no stakes, and while the performance is rare, it's not as memorable as Hector's 10 points today.
There is context. The drama of Patrick Ewing's return as coach of the Knicks' opponents under the eyes of James Dolan, broken records, a statistical line that resembled an urban legend that only those who saw him can believe. Today everything was there, the first official five-double in the history of an NBA game, broadcast on national TV. No one can play the ignorant.
Social networks and the Internet make it much easier to see NBA games. No one will be able to say that he has not seen anything. His popularity rating has exploded. Too bad he does not have social networks because his number of subscribers would have tripled in one night. And those who were sleeping at that time will wake up with the awful feeling of being unable to witness the legend live.
Hector later told reporters he couldn't avoid: "You should thank Coach Pat. I had to go out at the end of the third quarter because the game was folded, but apparently, I was close to the quadruple-double I was told. I ignored this detail, not my teammates, who forced me to realize it.
Then coach Pat told me to score 10 points to make the five-double. You saw it, but I didn't feel obliged to score points because the attack was fluid. My teammates played well.
I was challenged that I would have to drive back in the car to Sacramento if I failed. From New York, it's suicide. »
"Yes, I am proud to have achieved this, but it cannot be redone without the work of those around me.
The Kings won 113-84, but the real winner is this 2m18 giant from Mexico City.