Russell Westbrook had 17 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists in the Oklahoma City Thunder's 106-88 win over the Detroit Pistons, his league-best seventh triple-double of the season. Stat lines like this are now more or less ordinary for Westbrook -- in 18 games this year, he's averaging 31.2 points, 11.1 assists and 9.9 rebounds.

This particular triple-double was notable, though, because it was the 44th of his career, tying Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James for sixth all-time. While James needed 1,000 games to reach this mark, though, Westbrook did it in his 605th game.

James was impressed:


That's a cool gesture from one MVP candidate to another, and it was a nice touch to use "brodie," which is Westbrook's nickname for both himself and his brother, plus the name of his dog. Yes, I know that last sentence is a little confusing.

Anyway, James knows how much effort goes into getting one triple-double, let alone 44 of them. Westbrook generally doesn't care about other people's opinions, but this kind of praise and encouragement should actually mean something.

James, by the way, didn't take long to take back sole ownership of the No. 6 spot. Hours after his tweet on Sunday, he dropped 26 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds in a 112-108 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.