Nikola Jokić Ties Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA Record With Triple-Double Feat
Nikola Jokić already has become an all-time NBA great, as the Denver Nuggets center boasts two MVP awards and an NBA championship on his résumé. On Thursday night, he joined elite company in a statistical sense as the Nuggets beat the Memphis Grizzlies.
Jokić totaled yet another triple-double in the win, his 11th of the season, scoring 26 points with 14 rebounds and 10 assists. He did so without missing a shot, going 11-for-11 from the field to mark the third time in his career he recorded a perfect triple-double.
With the performance, Jokić tied Wilt Chamberlain for the most perfect triple-doubles in NBA history, according to ESPN Stats & Info. The only other player to record multiple perfect triple-doubles is Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, who has two in his career.
However, Jokić and Chamberlain are the only players to record a perfect triple-double while taking at least 10 shots from the field.
Jokić now boasts 116 career triple-doubles in his nine-year NBA career, which ranks fourth in league history, and he has a chance to approach the top of that list depending on how long he plays. The center is 22 triple-doubles away from Magic Johnson’s 138 and 65 away from Oscar Robertson’s 181. Topping the list is Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook, with 198 career triple-doubles.
The Nuggets (23–10) beat the Grizzlies (10–20), 142–105, Thursday night and play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder (20–9) on Friday at 9 p.m. ET.
