The Denver Nuggets have a statistical anomaly, and his name is Nikola Jokic. The Serbian behemoth is one of the most unique and one-of-a-kind players in NBA history. He is built like a traditional big man, but he has the vision of a point guard and the shooting of a wing. That has turned him into one of the most dominant players in league history.
No stat encompasses Jokicâs one-of-a-kind skill set more than this new record of his. On Thursday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Nuggets star etched his name into NBA history by setting a never-before-done record: 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists, via ESPN:
Another record set by The Joker đ
Nikola JokiÄ becomes the first player in NBA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season. pic.twitter.com/nTx5JBUkxL
â ESPN (@espn) April 8, 2022
Wow.
Itâs a bit surprising that the other do-it-all players of our generation havenât been able to attain this achievement. LeBron James and Magic Johnson seem like prime candidates to have already garnered this stat. However, Nikola Jokicâs unique skill set allowed him to achieve this greatness for the Nuggets this season.
Despite being listed at more than 7 feet and being built like a truck, Jokicâs biggest strength lies in his passing game. The Nuggets center has an uncanny ability to find the open man at any point, and he has the moxie to pull off any pass he wants. Couple that with a devastating post-up game and a deadly 3-point stroke, and you have one of the most unstoppable players in the league.
Dread it, run from it, Jokic arrives all the same. The Nuggets star is the only thing keeping the team afloat thus far, but he might get a huge boost in the form of Jamal Murray, who has been looking good in warmups so far.