Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets earned their first NBA championship last summer. During the reigning champions’ recent road trip, the Joker made even more history.
In a Dec. 22 away win against the Brooklyn Nets, Jokic became Denver’s all-time regular-season rebound leader. Dan Issel’s career rebound total of 6,631 was exceeded by The Big Honey. In a 122-117 victory, Jokic had 31 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.
As the Nuggets defeated the Warriors 120-114, Jokic shot a perfect 18-of-18 from the free-throw line, drawing Kerr’s ire.
The Nuggets won their fourth game in a row the following night, completing out a three-game road trip. The defending champs overcame a weaker Charlotte Hornets team 102-95. In the game, Jokic had 10 more rebounds.
Denver will face the Golden State Warriors in a highly anticipated matchup on Christmas Day. Jokic comes into the contest with a career-high 6,641 rebounds. Over the last five seasons, Jokic has also led the NBA in postseason rebounds with 638. He ranks sixth in postseason minutes during that time.
Jokic now leads the Nuggets in rebounds and assists. He has 4,236 regular-season assists in his eight years in the NBA. In 68 postseason games, the Joker has 496 assists.
During his postgame news conference, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone praised Jokic for his tremendous rebounding performance.
As the Nuggets defeated the Warriors 120-114, Jokic shot a perfect 18-of-18 from the free-throw line, infuriating Kerr.
“For Nikola to collect 6,631 rebounds and pass him (Dan Issel),… every night there’s some kind of note that says, ‘Nikola Jokic passed this man.’ You know you’re on the right track when you’re in the same room as Dan Issel. We are all aware of how fortunate and grateful we are to have Nikola in Denver, and he will remain a Nugget for the rest of his career. We’ll all see him break a lot more records.”
Michael Malone
Jokic’s spectacular achievement solidified his status as the greatest Nugget of all time. This season, the All-NBA big man has averaged 26.4 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 9.2 assists. He has averaged the most field goal attempts while committing the fewest turnovers since becoming an All-Star in 2019.
NBA Christmas Day: Nuggets beat Warriors thanks to a huge game from Nikola Joki
Jokic spoke with the Denver reporters in the locker room following the Brooklyn victory about his increased shooting attempts.
“I don’t know.” Maybe the team wants me to shoot more. To be honest, I’m at a loss for words. I believe that was just a coincidence. I didn’t go into the season thinking, ‘I’ll shoot more.’ There just so happened to be more.”
– Jokic, Nikola
The Mile High City will love their Serbian hero for as long as he plays in Denver. Jokic is likely to retire as the Nuggets’ all-time leader in points, rebounds, and assists. Only time will tell how far the basketball legend’s NBA legacy will spread.