To the surprise of nobody, Nikola Jokic has been dominant to start the 2025-26 NBA season. Through the Nuggets’ first 17 games of the season, Jokic has recorded 10 triple-doubles, putting him on pace to shatter the NBA record, set by Russell Westbrook in the 2016-17 season, when he put up 42 triple-doubles in his MVP season.
At his current pace, Jokic would finish the season with 48 triple-doubles, shattering the record by six whole games. That was a record that seemed almost unbreakable until recent years. The legendary Oscar Robertson had set the previous mark back in the 1961-62 season with 41.
Westbrook incredibly broke the record by one in 2017 and has come close with 38 and 34 in separate seasons since, making up three of the top four spots all time with Wilt Chamberlain in fifth place with 31 in the 1967-68 season.
But Jokic cracked that list last season by putting up 34 and averaging a triple-double for the season, and this year, he’s off to an even better start. In 17 games, Jokic is averaging 29.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 11.1 assists per game on excellent efficiency. He already has the 10 triple-doubles, and he has come just short on multiple occasions.
Jokic has real chance to keep up triple-double pace
The crazy part is there’s really no reason to think Jokic will slow down. He has put up a double-double in every game but one - he finished with 26, 9, and 9 - and it seems like he’s not even fully exerting himself.
Now, the team has suffered injuries to two key starters in Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun that will likely require the Joker to do even more. He’s putting up comical numbers on a routine basis, and with improved teammates around him, his assist and rebound numbers are up across the board.
When it comes to making history, this may just ultimately come down to how many games Jokic plays this season. He hasn’t missed a game all year, which is probably not a sustainable pace. As nice as it is to set records, the Nuggets and Jokic have much loftier ambitions that rely on Jokic being fresh and healthy when the playoffs start.
That may mean shutting him down for some games down the stretch. If he suffers a few minor injuries along the way and ends up playing in 70 fewer games, it’s going to be a lot tougher for Jokic to catch Russ. But if he stays healthy and plays in almost every game, you’re likely going to see some more history by the end of this season.