CHICAGO — Nikola Jokic received yet another game ball from his Denver Nuggets teammates following yet another triple-double. yet, this one held a special significance compared to the others.
It etched his name in NBA history.
Jokic scored 22 points, dished out 17 assists, and grabbed 14 rebounds, surpassing Oscar Robertson to become No. 2 on the league’s all-time career list with his 182nd regular-season triple-double, leading the Nuggets to a 136-120 win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.
“He is a legendary player,” Jokic remarked about Robertson, the first athlete to record an average triple-double for an entire season in 1961-62. “Any player entering this league understands he is a global icon.”
The three-time NBA MVP and eight-time All-Star is also making a significant impact on the game. This triple-double was Jokic’s 19th of the season and his second in consecutive games. He ranks just behind Russell Westbrook, who holds 207, on the all-time career list. Westbrook (four seasons), Jokic (two), and Robertson (one) are the only players in NBA history to average triple-doubles in a single season.
Nuggets coach David Adelman, who has been part of the organization since Jokic’s third season in 2017, notes that he is still often struck by the remarkable talent of the 6-foot-11 center.
“When your center racked up 17 assists in a game — that simply doesn’t happen,” Adelman stated. “At least, not unless it’s him.”
“It’s absolutely astonishing what he’s accomplished.”
Teammate Jamal Murray expressed his belief that there’s even more to come from Jokic, who will turn 31 on February 19.
“He’s got plenty left in the tank,” he noted. “It’s going to be a record like Usain Bolt’s when he sets it. He’ll hold that for a long time.”
