Nikola Jokic has done it once again. Witnessing the Serbian stack up triple-doubles in his career has simply become a tradition now in the NBA, as he recently recorded his 139th in a 126-114 loss to the Cavaliers this past Thursday night. The star big man has now moved to third place in the all-time historic list.
His climbing of this prestigious ladder means that he’s now moved passed none other than Magic Johnson, one of the greatest players who ever graced the basketball court. The European giant ended last night’s game with 27 points, 20 rebounds and 11 assists.
Even though Jokic could’ve scored even more points that night, missing some easy shots, the Nuggets were no match for an inspired Cleveland squad who made a season-high 22 three-pointers and now hold a 20-3 record in the Eastern Conference.
Congrats to Nikola Jokić of the @nuggets for moving to 3rd on the all-time TRIPLE-DOUBLES list! pic.twitter.com/2iR8f4GxM6
— NBA (@NBA) December 6, 2024
“It’s something that you’re probably going to look at after you finish your career,” said the three-time league MVP as he delivered his ninth triple-double of the present campaign. “Right now, you don’t even think about it. But it’s a great thing. It’s really nice.”
Now Nikola only trails Oscar Robertson’s 181 and his own teammate Russell Westbrook, who leads historically with 200 to his name. Many wonder if he will be able to reach the top, while Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has no doubts. “He’s got another five years,” Barkley said. ”When he gets older, his game is still going to be fine because he’s not the most athletic brother in the world.”
Chuck only wishes that Denver invests in improving the roster around him. “You cannot waste the Joker’s career. He is the best player in the world,” the 61-year-old said on ESPN this week. “You cannot waste this guy’s prime. This guy is the best player in the world.”
As one of his broadcasting colleagues mentioned the fact that the Nuggets already earned a title back in 2023, Barkley assured that Jokic deserves more. “Yeah, but they could win again. If you’ve got a guy that great, you’ve got to win more… Get greedy!” he said convincingly.
Co-star Jamal Murray says he’s ran out of words to describe his teammate, and explains why his work ethic is where his greatness begins
Just as his coach has said many times before, teammate Jamal Murray has no new words to describe Nikola Jokic’s greatness. However, after his 139th triple-double of his career, he was determined to try once more.
“You see it with his work ethic,” said the point guard, who also contributed with 19 points on Thursday. “His touches continue to amaze me. He does everything on the court with a great attitude and has a will to win. What else?”
His coach, on the other hand, admitted it was a hard night, but was pleased to learn about his center’s accomplishment. “We just got our butts kicked. Obviously, I love Nikola, and I feel very fortunate to coach a player with his talent and he’ll go down as one of the best to ever do it.
“I’m happy to hear that, I really am. But I’m so much more concerned about our team right now and where we’re at,” Michael Malone said. “It’s not so much that we lost tonight. I knew coming in here would be a tall order. I just don’t like how we lost and there is a big difference.”
