If the NBA Playoffs were a buffet, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic must've finished seven plates, because he's been feasting on everything, breaking countless records in this playoff run, from being the first player to have a 30-20-10 game in an NBA Finals, to having the most 30-point, 20-rebound triple-doubles in playoff history, and once this playoff run comes to an end, Nikola Jokic will go down as the only NBA player in history to average a triple-double in the playoffs, as he's currently sitting at 30.5 points, 13.4 rebounds and 10.1 assists in 18 matches.
It is also those averages that have led Jokic to once again reach yet another milestone: he is now the first player in NBA history with 500 points, 250 rebounds, and 150 assists in a single postseason.
Nikola Jokic is the 1st player in NBA History with 500 Points, 250 Rebounds, and 150 Assists in a single postseason
Generational talent. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Mng5Sze1WY
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 10, 2023
There have been many stat-stuffers in the history of this league, dating back to the big men of the 60s like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell gobbling up all the rebounds, blocking shots, and giving you 20-30 points on any given night. Then it was Oscar Robertson that popularized the wing/guard that can score, pass and rebound, a style of play that remains popular to this day by virtue of legends keeping that going, from Magic Johnson in the 80s, to LeBron James, all the way to Luka Doncic, who is sure to carry that mantle as he continues his young career.
But what Nikola Jokic has been doing with the Nuggets is what his teammates are saying is changing the game. In Denver's 108-95 win in Game 4, he finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists which would be a great statline for some, but was a down game for with throughout these NBA Finals.
A big man that does literally everything on the offensive end: shoots from deep, create his own shot, goes down low in the post, makes plays for his teammates without thinking about it, and on the other end control the glass with his rebounds. There has never been a big man in history that has done this, and it's truly amazing.
The punchline to all of this is how Nikola Jokic doesn't really care about these records broken. The only thing on his mind is winning it all, and it seems like it's only a matter of time for him and the Nuggets.
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