Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic recorded the quickest triple-double in NBA history in 14 minutes and 33 seconds on Thursday, easily smashing Jim Tucker’s previous record of 17 minutes from 1955.
Nikola Jokic records triple-double in 14 minutes, fastest in NBA history
Jokic smashed a 63-year-old record with his absurd first half on Thursday.
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
The 6’10 Serbian center functions as a de facto point guard for the Nuggets when their offense is flowing properly, and as Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks illustrated, it quickly allows Jokic to pile up statistics. That’s not to take away any credit from Jokic — to record 10-plus points, assists, and rebounds in less than 15 minutes felt impossible before Jokic pulled it off with ease.
In 2016, Russell Westbrook recorded a triple-double in 19 minutes, still absurdly quick. Some records set in the 1950s are virtually unbreakable in today’s game, just because the game is played so differently in the modern era. When even Westbrook couldn’t get close — he had previously recorded one in 21 minutes in 2014 — I certainly thought that Tucker’s 17-minute triple-double might not be breakable.
But not so! Hello, Jokic, new NBA record holder.
Here’s how he got there.
Including this absolutely absurd pass.
This is Jokic’s second consecutive triple-double headed into the All-Star break — he notched a 23-point, 13-rebound, 11-assist one on Tuesday.
He’s good, folks.
