Last summer, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets won their first NBA title. The Joker made even more history during the reigning champions’ recent road trip.
Jokic became Denver’s all-time regular-season rebound leader in a Dec. 22 away win over the Brooklyn Nets. The Big Honey surpassed Dan Issel’s career rebound total of 6,631. Jokic had 31 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in a 122-117 victory.
The Nuggets won their fourth straight game the next night, capping off a three-game road trip. The defending champions, who are 21-10 this season, defeated a weakened Charlotte Hornets team 102-95. Jokic had 10 additional rebounds in that game.
On Christmas Day, Denver will play the Golden State Warriors in a highly anticipated game. Jokic enters the game with a franchise-high 6,641 rebounds. Jokic has also led the league in postseason rebounds with 638 over the last five seasons. During that time, he ranks sixth in postseason minutes.
Jokic currently has the most rebounds and assists in Nuggets history. In his eight years in the NBA, he has 4,236 regular-season assists. The Joker has 496 assists in 68 postseason games.
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone hailed Jokic for his outstanding rebounding performance at his postgame press conference.
“For Nikola to get 6,631 rebounds and pass him (Dan Issel),… it seems like every night there’s some kind of note that says, ‘Nikola Jokic passed this man.’ When you’re in the same room with Dan Issel, you know you’re on the right track. We’re all aware of how fortunate and happy we are to have Nikola in Denver, and he’ll be a Nugget for the rest of his career. We’re all going to see him smash a lot more records.”
Malone Michael
Jokic’s recent accomplishment cemented his place as the greatest Nugget of all time. The All-NBA big man has averaging 26.4 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 9.2 assists this season. Since becoming an All-Star in 2019, he has averaged the most field goal attempts while simultaneously averaging the fewest turnovers.
Following the Brooklyn victory, Jokic spoke with the Denver media in the locker room about his increased shot attempts.
“I honestly don’t know. Maybe the team wants me to do more shooting. To be honest, I don’t know how to explain it. I believe it just happened to be that way. I didn’t go into the season thinking, ‘I’m going to shoot more.’ It just so happened that there was more.”
– Nikola Jokic
For as long as he plays in Denver, the Mile High City will appreciate their Serbian star. Jokic has a good chance of finishing his career as the Nuggets’ all-time leader in points, rebounds, and assists. Only time will tell how much further the basketball legend’s NBA legacy may expand.