Nikola Jokić, who is currently averaging career highs in points (31.2) and rebounds (13.2) while handing out 9.8 assists per game the season, delivered a slick pass during the second quarter of the Nugget’s 118-99 win against the Mavericks on Tuesday evening. Little did he know, that with this dish, he made NBA history.
In just 709 games, the Serbian superstar became the fastest NBA player to ever reach 15,000 points, 7,500 rebounds and 5,000 assists, beating Hall of Famer Larry Bird. The Boston icon held the previous record by accomplishing this incredible feat in only 799 matches,
As if it wasn’t enough, the three-time league MVP also conquered his 146th career triple-double that night against Dallas. The European big man is set to achieve his career-best averages for a single season. Jokic also is leading the league this campaign with 16 triple-doubles to his name.
With his 8th assist tonight, Nikola Jokić just became the fastest player to reach 15K+ PTS, 7,500+ REB, and 5K+ AST, doing so in just 709 games.
The fastest previously? Larry Bird at 799 games. pic.twitter.com/zjqjZRBtcN
— NBA (@NBA) January 15, 2025
One of the most exciting stories of this 2024-25 season in Denver, has been his new-found chemistry with veteran Russell Westbrook. “He’s not loud-spoken by any means, but we talk a lot throughout the game,” the veteran told reporters last week. “A lot of time we communicate without having to say nothing, which is great… We be thinking the same thing. A great dynamic.”
The former league MVP had has called Nikola the “best player in the world,” and he assures he plays for him. “My job is to make the game easy for him, and he does it for everybody else,” Westbrook said after they became the first pair of teammates to record a triple-double in the same game twice in a single season.
This happened during last week’s 124-105 win over the Brooklyn Nets, when Jokić had 35 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds and Westbrook added 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. This feat also meant the pair was the first to record a 25-point triple-double in the same regular-season contest.
Once the match was over, Denver head coach Michael Malone delivered praise for the superstar duo in comic fashion. “You’re watching history, folks,” Malone told reporters once the game was over. “You’re watching history. This is the History Channel.”
