In sports, stat padding is an action that improves a player's statistics despite being of little benefit to their team or its chance of winning.
Notable players accused of stat padding
Basketball
Russell Westbrook holds the record for most career triple-doubles in the NBA, most of which involved heavy stat padding, many theorise.[1]
Giannis Antetokounmpo was accused of stat padding after he intentionally missed a last-second shot to get the rebound he needed to secure a triple-double.[2] The rebound was later rescinded by the NBA.[3]
Notable games with apparent stat padding
College Football
LSU Tigers football left their starting quarterback Jayden Daniels in the game while dominating their Sun Belt Conference opponent, the Georgia State Panthers in week 12 of the 2023 college football season. Multiple observers noted the move as potential stat padding to improve Daniel's Heisman candidacy.[4][5][6]