Allow the patrons perched on their barstools enough guesses and they’re bound to come up with LeBron James and Magic Johnson. And those worthy hunches are right on the money.
Even so, give those barflies all day and they’re not likely to come up with the other one, at least not without a glance at Google. Heck, that former player — and, yes, we’ll tell you soon who it is — didn’t know himself for more than 55 years that he’d done something noteworthy.
“Triple-double wasn’t a thing when I was playing,” he tells USA TODAY Sports. “Points. Rebounds. Maybe assists. That’s the only stats we knew.”
James had 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in his first playoff game in 2006. That led statisticians to scrub box scores to discover who else had managed the feat. Sure enough, they found Johnson scored 13 points and had 11 rebounds and 11 assists in his first NBA playoff game in 1980.
And then there is Johnny McCarthy.
Wait. Who?
McCarthy scored 13 points to go with 11 rebounds and 11 assists in his first playoff game in 1960. He had no idea it would make him the stumper to a trivia question someday. He was just happy that his St. Louis Hawks beat the Minneapolis Lakers.
When James recorded that triple-double in his maiden playoff game, newspapers carried an item that mentioned the two others who’d done it. And that’s how McCarthy found out he is in a club so exclusive that its other members are on the short list for greatest players of all time.
“I’m pretty sure LeBron and Magic have never heard of me,” McCarthy says by phone from suburban Buffalo.
Even so, give those barflies all day and they’re not likely to come up with the other one, at least not without a glance at Google. Heck, that former player — and, yes, we’ll tell you soon who it is — didn’t know himself for more than 55 years that he’d done something noteworthy.
“Triple-double wasn’t a thing when I was playing,” he tells USA TODAY Sports. “Points. Rebounds. Maybe assists. That’s the only stats we knew.”
James had 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in his first playoff game in 2006. That led statisticians to scrub box scores to discover who else had managed the feat. Sure enough, they found Johnson scored 13 points and had 11 rebounds and 11 assists in his first NBA playoff game in 1980.
And then there is Johnny McCarthy.
Wait. Who?
McCarthy scored 13 points to go with 11 rebounds and 11 assists in his first playoff game in 1960. He had no idea it would make him the stumper to a trivia question someday. He was just happy that his St. Louis Hawks beat the Minneapolis Lakers.
When James recorded that triple-double in his maiden playoff game, newspapers carried an item that mentioned the two others who’d done it. And that’s how McCarthy found out he is in a club so exclusive that its other members are on the short list for greatest players of all time.
“I’m pretty sure LeBron and Magic have never heard of me,” McCarthy says by phone from suburban Buffalo.
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