Nikola Jokić continues to add to his impressive legacy.
With two regular season MVPs, 5 All-Star Game appearances, 5 All-NBA selections, a Western Conference Finals MVP Award, and now, an NBA championship under his belt, Jokić bolstered his resume with yet another accolade: The 2023 Bill Russell NBA Finals Award.
Jokić finished the 2023 NBA Finals averaging 30.2 points, 14 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.4 steals. He also shot 58.3 percent from the field, 42.1 percent from the line, and 83.8 percent from the free throw line. His team, meanwhile, breezed by the Miami HEAT in 5 games. The Nuggets lost just 4 games all postseason. It was a dominant run.
Jokić’s playoff performance has been nothing short of sensational. He became the first player in NBA history to record 600 points, 250 rebounds, and 150 assists in a single postseason. He also broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record for the most triple-doubles in a playoff run with 10. More importantly, Jokić averaged a triple-double in two of the four series he played in.
Two of Jokić’s 10 total triple-doubles came in the Finals against Miami. He opened the series with a 27-point, 14-assist, and 10-rebound outing. His Game 3 final box score was even more eye-popping–32 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists—becoming the first player to ever put up at least 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists in an NBA Finals game.
Though he didn’t reach a triple-double in Game 2, Jokić poured in 41 points to go with 10 rebounds. It was his fourth time scoring at least 40 points in his 20 playoff games.
He dropped 53 points in Game 4 of the second round against the Phoenix Suns to set his career-high for both the regular season and postseason.
“I think there’s more to come, actually, from Jok,” warned Jamal Murray before Game 5. “I think we haven’t seen a side of Jok that we are going to see where he can be just pure dominance all the way, the whole game, even more than he has been.”
Jokić is just 28 years old. There’s plenty more to come in his already-illustrious basketball career. He’s just entering his prime. It isn’t crazy to wonder if he can get another level better.
