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Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets' superstar center, etched his name deeper into the NBA record books on April 11, becoming just the third player ever to average a triple-double over an entire season. During a 117-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, Jokic secured his 700th assist of the campaign, locking in a season average of at least 10.0 assists across 70 games.
With 29.8 points and 12.8 rebounds per game already in the bag, the Serbian sensation s legends Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson in this exclusive club, cementing his case as one of basketball's all-time greats.
Jokic's milestone came with his 34th triple-double of the season-26 points, 16 rebounds, and 13 assists-against Memphis. "It's nice. I didn't do that before," he said postgame, brushing off the feat with his signature humility. The assist that clinched it, a to Christian Braun late in the first half, wasn't even credited until halftime, but it sealed a historic season.
Nuggets interim coach David Adelman didn't hold back, saying, "If he doesn't win the MVP, it's the greatest season of all time not to win the MVP." Jokic's in a tight race with Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for that honor.
Jokic's triple-double season puts him with Westbrook, Robertson
What makes this wild is the company Jokic keeps. Westbrook, his Denver teammate, hit the triple-double mark four times-2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 with Oklahoma City, and 2020-21 with Washington. Robertson did it once, in 1961-62 with Cincinnati. Jokic's path was relentless: his 164 career triple-doubles trail only Westbrook's 203, and his 61-point triple-double against Minnesota on April 1 set the NBA record for most points in one. "When you have a guy like Jokic, who creates so much offense, everyone's going to have good looks," Minnesota coach Chris Finch said earlier this month.
This season's a career peak for the three-time MVP. He's posting personal bests in scoring, three-pointers made, and three-point percentage, plus his second-best rebounding average. If he drops 47 points in Denver's finale against Houston on April 13, he'll hit a 30-point triple-double average, a feat only Westbrook and Robertson have pulled off. His 57.5% shooting and league-leading stats in multiple categories have fans on X buzzing about a fourth MVP nod.
Jokic's rise from a second-round pick to a history-maker is unreal. With Denver tied for fourth in the West, his playmaking's kept them afloat despite front-office shakeups. From a 30-20-22 game against Phoenix to Friday's milestone, Jokic's rewriting what's possible for a big man.