On February 18, 1985, Bird registered a triple double (30 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) and also had 9 steals in three quarters of play against the Utah Jazz. Bird sat out the fourth quarter, as the Celtics led 90-66 after the third quarter and won the game 110–94. When asked by reporters if he actually wanted to play in the 4th quarter to get the quadruple double, Bird said "What for? I already did enough damage to them."

When I look at rebounders, I always consider their role and how that might hinder or help them. Rodman never looked for the ball. He was positioning himself for a rebound the moment after his team crossed half court. Compare that to an Olajuwon who was the focal point of his team's offense. Had Olajuwon been told to simply get rebounds, there's no telling what he would have done in the mid-late 80s, early 90s. Bird was the primary weapon on offense. That hurts your offensive rebounding chances---especially if you shoot from the perimeter like he did, VS, say Moses Malone, who got a few extra rebounds 'playing catch with the rim' and getting his own misses inside (not that Moses wasn't a great rebounder). Oakley was pretty much a rebounder as a role player---not to the ridiculous extent that Rodman was, but that was his primary job more than scoring and/ or distributing.

He then decided to sit out the entire 4th Quarter. He would have been only the 2nd recorded quadruple doubler after Thurmond------and the ONLY forward to do it... STILL.

He was asked 'why?' he didn't go for the quadruple double after the game-----and he simply replied that the were up 'by 30' and that he had done enough.

Image if Bird gave a darn about personal stats to the extent that SO many players do. He didn't care. But if he DID... and he inflated his own numbers more-----you gotta wonder where some people would have him rated relative to where they do currently.

4 quadruple doubles...

1) Nate Thurmond, October 18, 1974, Chicago vs. Atlanta; 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, 12 blocks.[1]

2) Alvin Robertson, February 18, 1986, San Antonio vs. Phoenix; 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals.[2]

3) Hakeem Olajuwon, March 29, 1990, Houston vs. Milwaukee; 18 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, 11 blocks.[3]

4) David Robinson, February 17, 1994, San Antonio vs. Detroit; 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 blocks.[4]

2 are Spurs. Only Robertson had 10 steals, the other 3 guys had 10+ blocks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_%28basketball%29#Quadruple-double

These were the days...