Nikola Jokic Joins Russell Westbrook in NBA History With Dominant Season

Not only did the Denver Nuggets pick up their seventh straight win by beating the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, but star center Nikola Jokic led the way with a historic performance.

Jokic finished Wednesday's 130-117 win with a dominant triple-double, dropping 15 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists, shooting 5-10 from the field. With this performance, he will officially finish the 2025-26 season by averaging a triple-double to become just the second player in NBA history to do so in consecutive seasons, joining former Nuggets teammate Russell Westbrook.

JOKIĆ OFFICIALLY AVERAGES A TRIPLE-DOUBLE IN THE 2025-26 SEASON 🚨

With 12 assists in tonight's victory, Nikola Jokić has now officially averaged a triple-double on the season. He joins Russell Westbrook as the only players in NBA HISTORY to average a triple-double in… https://t.co/IlK7QXPPJ4 pic.twitter.com/nkyfIUQe2I
— NBA (@NBA) April 2, 2026

Jokic's historic two-season run

Of course, Jokic still has some work to do to truly catch up to Westbrook, who averaged a triple-double in three straight seasons and four times in five years, but he is close to snatching the triple-double crown. Jokic is just 14 triple-doubles away from passing Westbrook for the most in NBA history, which he should accomplish with ease next season.

The outlandish part about Jokic's historic two-year run, though, is that he will likely go both seasons without winning NBA MVP. Last year, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander inched out Jokic for the award, and there is expected to be a similar outcome this season.

After averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game last season, Jokic has put up similar numbers this time around, averaging 27.7 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 10.8 assists. The most incredible part? He is leading the NBA in rebounds and assists per game, tracking to become the first player in NBA history to do so in the same season.

It is shocking to see Jokic on the outside of the MVP race, with Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama getting all the attention, but after three MVP awards already, he is likely solely focused on winning another championship. Still, with him playing at this level, the Nuggets have to be confident in their ability to compete with any team in the league.

After winning a championship in 2023, the Nuggets have lost in the second round of the playoffs in back-to-back years. Jokic and company should be desperate to get back over the hump, as putting together two historic seasons means much less with no championships to show for it.

Were Jokic and Westbrook an underappreciated duo?

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook and center Nikola Jokic — Mar 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) and center Nikola Jokic (15) in the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Ball Arena. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

It is pretty incredible that the NBA's two triple-double leaders were teammates for a season, even though the duo was very underappreciated. It is not often that legends of their caliber are able to share the court, and even though Westbrook was well past his prime, he made a big impact in Denver.

The playmaking prowess of those two together created some dynamic offensive sets, and while the Nuggets fell short in the postseason, it would have been great to see the franchise bring the veteran point guard back for another year.

Now, though, the historic pairing is merely a Denver memory that many fans have already turned their back on. With 405 combined career triple-doubles between the two stars, this pairing was a statistical anomaly.

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