Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic became the first player in NBA history to shoot 10 of 10 from the field and record 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a triple-double game, in Thursday night’s 130-110 win over the Washington Wizards.
The six-time All-Star center closed out his performance with 21 points, 19 rebounds, 15 assists, and one steal in a little over 31 minutes of action. It was his 16th triple-double of the season, second to Domantas Sabonis‘ 18.
It was his third triple-double with a perfect shooting percentage on 10 or more attempts — and he’s the only player since the NBA-ABA merger to accomplish that feat once, according to OptaSTATS.
Per multiple NBA betting sites, Jokic is the odds-on favorite to win MVP this season. Sportsbooks are still showing great odds for Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Thursday night was the 4th time that Nikola Jokić recorded a triple-double with 100% FG.
That’s the most of any player in our database.#NBA | #MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/HL3cKrBGRK
— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref) February 23, 2024
Jokic, 29, also became the fourth player in NBA history to record at least one triple-double against every opponent in the league. He nearly got there in the first half, amassing 10 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists.
“After I finish my career, it’s a legacy and milestone,” Jokic said. “I’m going to look back and I’m going to say that’s a really cool thing to do.”
Nikola Jokic became the fourth NBA player to record a triple-double against every opponent
LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Maurice Stokes are the other three NBA players with a triple-double against every team. James is with his third team, whereas Westbrook has played for five different franchises.
Stokes played just three seasons (1955-58) in the ’50s, when the league had only eight teams.
He played his first two seasons with the Rochester Royals, and then owners Lester and Jack Harrison moved the franchise to Cincinnati, where he finished his career.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone praised Jokic after the victory.
With tonight’s triple-double, Nikola Jokic has now recorded a triple-double against every team he has faced in his career.
Jokic becomes the third player to accomplish this all-time, joining Russell Westbrook and LeBron James. pic.twitter.com/kN8pSfAPEc
— NBA (@NBA) February 23, 2024
“What’s unique about him is he can impose his will in so many different areas,” Malone said. “Some guys were great scorers, but Nikola, he can score, he can rebound, he can play-make. He can just impact the game across the board. As we always talk about, he’s just the definition of greatness.”
Westbrook is the NBA’s all-time leader in career triple-doubles with 198. Oscar Robertson is second with 181, followed by Magic Johnson (138), Jokic (121), James (110), Jason Kidd (107), and other all-time greats.
Trailing Sabonis and Jokic in triple-doubles this season include Doncic (10), Antetokounmpo (7), James (3), Scottie Barnes (3), Anthony Davis (2), Joel Embiid (2), and Josh Hart (2).
