What is a 5×5 game in basketball? Breaking down the impressive feat

Michael Jordan made the “double nickel” famous, but other players have pulled off another impressive statistical feat involving two fives.

Victor Wembanyama is the latest star to pull off a “5×5” game on an NBA court. The second-year San Antonio Spurs phenom was an all-around menace against the Utah Jazz on Thursday, posting 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals and five blocks in a 106-88 victory.

What exactly is a 5×5 game, and how rare is it in the NBA? Let’s break it down.

What is a 5×5 game in basketball?

There are a couple of meanings to 5×5: one in regards to players on the court and another about filling up the box score.

Here, a “5×5” game is not to be confused with a “5-on-5” game in which each team has five players.

Instead, a 5×5 game is when a player gets to five or more in the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.

How many 5×5 games have there been in NBA history?

As of Nov. 1, there have been 23 5×5 games since the NBA first started recording steals and blocks as official stats in the 1973-74 season.

Who has the most 5×5 games in NBA history?

Houston Rockets legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon has the most 5×5 games in NBA history with six.

With his 5×5 game on Halloween, Wembanyama joins Olajuwon and former Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko (three) as the only players with multiple 5×5 games in their careers. Wembanyama posted his first in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers last season.

How is a 5×5 game different from a “double nickel”?

While a 5×5 game is about all-around impact, the “double nickel” is strictly about scoring.

Five games into his memorable 1995 comeback with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan erupted for 55 points against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The performance is remembered as the “double nickel” game.