The 2023-24 National Basketball Association regular season commenced on Tuesday, and to simply no one’s surprise, Nikola Jokic of Sombor, Serbia collected another triple double. In fact, it was the 106th triple double of his NBA career. In a 119-107 Nuggets win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, Jokic had 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.
Jokic made 12 of 22 field goals, three of five three point attempts, and two of four free throws. He also had one steal, one block, and was a +15.
The last two NBA seasons, Jokic has led the NBA in triple doubles. He had 19 in 2021-22, and 29 in 2022-23. Jokic’s 106 triple doubles are the sixth most in NBA history. Los Angeles Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook of Long Beach, California is the all-time leader in triple doubles with 198.
Also on Tuesday, Jokic became the third NBA player of all-time to open the following season with a triple double, after ending his previous season as the NBA Finals MVP. He joins a prestigious list that includes Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson of Lansing, Michigan, and small forward LeBron James of Akron, Ohio, who was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers at the time.
On October 29, 1982, Johnson had 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 132-117 Lakers loss to the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers had beaten the Philadelphia 76ers in six games to win the 1982 NBA Finals. On October 25, 2016, James had 19 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds in a 117-88 Cavaliers win over the New York Knicks. The Cavaliers had beaten the Golden State Warriors in seven games to win the 2016 NBA Finals.
