At this rate, Nikola Jokic may own half the records in the NBA history book by the time it’s all said and done. He continues to elevate his game and put up numbers that would have been considered laughable and preposterous not too long ago.
It seems like every day a new stat is going viral on social media and posts are being sent that start off along the lines of, “Nikola Jokic is the first player since _____ to ______”. We as fans are almost numb to it at this point. The Nuggets are 55 games into the season and Joker is averaging 29.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game on 58/45/82 shooting splits.
But one record that’s about to fall is one that’s a little unconventional and lesser known; the record for most heaves in a single season. Much has been made of Jokic’s propensity to put up heaves (shots from beyond halfcourt) this season and his blatant disregard for preserving his field goal and three-point percentages.
It’s a testament to his commitment to winning at all costs and doing whatever gives his team the best chance of winning. It has already resulted in one incredible one-handed full-court shot for Jokic in a recent game against the Kings that produced one of the highlights of the NBA season.
Jokic ties Curry for most half-court shots in a season
If it seems like Jokic has been launching a lot of heaves this season, that’s because he is. On Wednesday night, another buzzer-beating heave attempt by Jokic gave him 17 so far on the season. That ties him with Stephen Curry for the most shots attempted from beyond halfcourt in a single season, a record Curry set in the 2016-17 season.
Nikola Jokić just tied the record for most shot attempts from beyond halfcourt in a single season.
— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) February 13, 2025
His next heave will break the tie with Stephen Curry, who set the record in 2016-17.
With Jokic’s next such attempt, he’ll set a new NBA single-season record and at this rate, it looks like he will shatter that record. The record for heaves made in a season is just two, so Jokic needs only one more to tie that historic mark as well.
Obviously, this isn’t the most important stat in the world or anything, but it’s pretty cool to see how willing Jokic seems to get up last-second attempts at any cost. It helps that he also seems to be incredibly gifted at taking these shots (what a surprise!) and even some of his misses are extremely impressive.
This certainly isn’t a record that will be near the top of Jokic’s eventual Hall of Fame plaque, but it shows the kind of player he is with his commitment to getting up a shot regardless of how low-percentage they may seem. It’s even more stark in an era where most players would rather hold the ball until after the buzzer just to avoid a likely miss.