Nikola Jokić now tied for 4th on career NBA triple-doubles list
We're only a few games into the new NBA season and Nikola Jokić is picking up right where he left off last year: gobbling up rebounds, making sharp passes to teammates in scoring position and throwing up a variety of shots from all over on the floor. The Nuggets center recorded his second triple-double of the season on Monday night and as a result he moved up on the career triple-double list.
Jokić scored 27 points, had 11 assists and 10 rebounds on Monday night in a 110-102 win over the Utah Jazz in Denver. It was his second triple-double this season and his 107th in his career. He is now tied for fourth on the career triple-doubles list with Jason Kidd and LeBron James.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Jokić's place on the impressive list "speaks to his greatness."
"It speaks to his consistency, night in and night out playing the game at an extremely high level. The one thing you can compare LeBron and Nikola with is the ability to make everyone around them better. That is the definition of greatness," Malone said.
According to StatMuse, Jokić is the only player with 10 or more triple-doubles with a field goal percentage of 75% or higher over the last 40 seasons. He was 12 for 16 on field goals Monday night.
Jokić also learned on Monday that he was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week.
The Nuggets superstar has helped his team to an undefeated 4-0 start to the season. They are one of only three teams that haven't lost a game yet.
"Nikola Jokić has started his MVP campaign early," wrote Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports in the latest NBA Power Rankings.