That shouldnt come into this equation at all.

Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd, one of the foremost triple-double artists in NBA history, believes Russell Westbrook can average a triple-double this season.Kidd, who is third all time in triple-doubles with 107, told ESPN that he could only dream of doing what Westbrook is doing right now. He has been most impressed with Westbrooks ability to win during his streak of five straight triple-doubles -- and Westbrooks ability to do it all without Kevin Durant.It can be done, Kidd said of averaging a triple-double in a season, a feat not seen since Oscar Robertson did so in 1961-62. I have always said I think it could be done. You got to have a special player, and I think we are looking at a special player.Westbrook is on a tear that hasnt been seen in decades. He became the first NBA player to record five consecutive triple-doubles since Michael Jordan did so in 1989. On Sunday, the Thunder point guard had 28 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists in a 101-92 win over New Orleans. Westbrook also had 10 turnovers, which made him the first since Kidd in 2000 to register double digits in all four categories.Westbrook headed into Mondays Thunder game in Atlanta averaging 31 points, 11.3 assists and 10.8 rebounds in 21 games this season. No NBA player has averaged a triple-double in a season since Robertsons 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists per game in 1961-62.He is athletic, Kidd said. [But you need] guys scoring the ball [on your team]. Assists is hard to get. But understand he is doing this without KD. That is what makes it even more special.Kidd ranks third on the all-time triple-double list behind Robertson (181) and Magic Johnson (138). Westbrook is currently sixth, with 47 career triple-doubles, and is 12 behind Larry Bird (59). Wilt Chamberlain is in fourth with 78.The Thunder (13-8) have won all five games during Westbrooks triple-double streak and, heading to Atlanta, were 8-2 when the point guard notches a triple-double.Winning with the triple-double, that means you have controlled the whole game, Kidd said. A lot of times, you can have a triple-double, but winning and having a triple-double is the most impressive.Of the 10 players in NBA history with at least 30 triple-doubles, only Wilt Chamberlain (69-9) has a better win percentage than Westbrooks. The Thunder are 41-6 when Westbrook records a triple-double, according to Elias. Westbrooks 10 triple-doubles in 21 games this season are the fastest anybody has reached 10 since Robertson needed only 12 games in 1961.Magic Johnson, who averaged a double-double in points and assists nine times in his career, came close in 1981-82 to averaging a triple-double. That season, he finished with 18.6 points, 9.5 assists and a career-high 9.6 rebounds.In his 19 seasons, Kidd averaged a double-double three times. He averaged 16.9 points, 10.8 assists and 6.8 rebounds in the lockout-shortened, 50-game 1998-99 season. He averaged 14.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists the next season for the Suns. In 2007-08, Kidd averaged 10.8 points, 10.1 assists and 7.5 rebounds.Kidd played from 1994 to 2013, with much of his career spent during a time when the game was considered to be more physical, with more dominant big men to contend with on the boards. Even so, the future Hall of Famer said he would not be able to duplicate what Westbrook is doing, even if he played his prime in todays more perimeter-oriented and offensive-minded NBA.No. No, Kidd said. He is athletic. I wasnt athletic like that. You put basketball IQ, thinking the game and then you put it with what he is doing athletically ... It is like LeBron. He is another one that can do it. For me, it was always the scoring part that was the hardest.The way the game is being played, shooting a lot more 3s, theres a lot more rebounds to be had. But he is playing at a very high level. He also doesnt get enough credit for his basketball IQ. Vans Toy Story Sale . All of the scoring came in the final 20:04. Lucic scored on a power play at 15:46 of the third period, when he tipped a shot over Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen for a 3-1 lead. Vans Slip On Sale . Isner, ranked No. 14, won his eighth career singles title and took the title in New Zealand for the second time after his victory in 2010. The match was similar to Isners quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber which went to three sets, all tiebreaks and contained no breaks of serve. http://www.vanssalestore.com/vans-old-skool-clearance.html . -- Nathan Pancel scored twice as the Sudbury Wolves defeated the North Bay Battalion 4-2 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Vans Old Skool Black Sale . -- PGA TOUR Canada member Steve Saunders took a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Web. Vans Old Skool Discount . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. COLUMBUS, OHIO -- John Tortorella, the coach of Team USA for the upcoming World Cup of Hockey, isnt backing off on his comments that hed bench any player who didnt stand for the U.S. national anthem.On Tuesday, Tortorella told ESPN: If any of my players sit on the bench for the national anthem, they will sit there the rest of the game. The coach seemed taken aback Wednesday by the reaction to his comment, but he did not backtrack on his stance.Im not backing off, Tortorella said after the teams on-ice workout Wednesday.Ill tell you right now. Try to understand me. Im not criticizing anybody for stepping up and putting their thoughts out there about things. Im the furthest thing away from being anything political. No chance Im involved in that stuff, Tortorella said.But the Columbus Blue Jackets coach says he remains unequivocal in his belief that the flag and the anthem should be sacrosanct. Tortorella has a son who is deployed in Afghanistan for the third time as a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces.Listen, he told reporters. Were in a great country because we can express ourselves. And I am not against expressing yourselves. Thats whats great about our country. We can do that. But when there are men and women that give their lives for their flag, for their anthem, have given their lives, continue to put themselves on the line with our services for our flag, for our anthem, families that have been disrupted, traumatic physical injuries, traumatic mental injuries for these people that give us the opportunity to do the things we want to do, theres no chance an anthem and a flag should come into any type of situation where youre trying to make a point.It is probably the most disrespectful thing you can do as a U.S. citizen is to bring that in. Because thats our symbol. All for [expressing] yourself. Thats whats so great. Everybody does. But no chance when it comes to the flag and the anthem. No chance.The issue of respecting the anthem has created a firestorm of debate and controversy after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick chose to sit for the national anthem during one NFL preseason game and then kneel for another.Tortorella, 58, said a number of the players on Team USA came to him after his comments were made public and supported his views on respecting the anthem and flag.Team North America defenseman Seth Jones was asked Thursday about Tortorellas comments regarding sitting for the anthem.I have no problem with the comments, Jones said. Youre not going to see me sitting down. ... I dont know Kaepernick at all, but I wont sit down. Nott even a thought.ddddddddddddones, the son of former NBA player Popeye Jones, plays for Tortorella in Columbus and is the highest-drafted African-American in the NHL.In a follow-up interview with ESPNs Linda Cohn on Wednesday, Tortorella described what would happen if a player on one of his teams decided to boycott the national anthem.On this team here, this World Cup team, there wouldnt even be a player that would think about doing that because I know the guys well enough. Weve gone through it, he said. But if I was ever involved in a situation where someone is trying to make a point, and they have a perfect right to do that, but to disrespect our flag and anthem, as I said yesterday, they would not play.If that ever happened, theres no question, its just not right. And its not black, white, blue, red. It has nothing to do with the politics of all of this. Its just not right. This is our country. Our people are fighting for our country, our flag and our anthem. That shouldnt come into this equation at all. There are other ways of doing things.Earlier Wednesday, a member of the U.S. Army addressed the team but neither Tortorella nor the members of Team USA would describe the exchange.We are playing hockey, Tortorella said. Other people are doing real stuff. This gentleman who spoke to us this morning is doing the real stuff. Life and death. We just want to give to our country in our own little way. Quite honestly we are entertainers. What this man talked about in our locker room and what he does casts a huge shadow over us as far as what were doing.Canada World Cup coach Mike Babcock, who also coaches the Toronto Maple Leafs, was asked what would happen if one of his players sat during the national anthem in protest.This is what I know: Im not going to have to make that decision because thats not going to happen, he said. So I dont have to worry about that reaction. At that time I guess I would decide what to do. One of the greatest things about this tournament is that most of us get to play for your country, and thats a thrill of a lifetime in itself. And then when you get to do it on Canadian soil, thats another thrill.For those of us who have the life we have, and the freedom we have, to repay respects to the people who went before us and made sure that happened; I mean, its pretty straightforward and common sense to me. But I dont know why were talking about this.ESPN senior writer Craig Custance contributed to this report. ' ' '