Nikola Jokic Had The Perfect Reaction To Learning That He Was Now Averaging A Triple Double For The Season

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After a relatively shitty performance (by his standards) against Joel Embiid, many fans of a certain team declared the MVP race over, or that there was at the very least a new leader. For some reason, a singular performance dictated the MVP race. Since that showdown, we saw Joel Embiid lose at home with a fully healthy squad to the Orlando Magic where he was a -11 and had more turnovers than assists, the same thing Sixers fans dogged Jokic for in their matchup. Somehow, that showing didn't count though when it comes to the MVP race. Interesting how that logic no longer applied to an Embiid stinker but did apply to a Jokic stinker isn't it?

Meanwhile back in the Mile High, Jokic got back to doing what he's done all season

Now I want to be consistent here. This latest ridiculous performance by Jokic isn't suddenly a deciding factor in his MVP case. That's not what this blog is about. 

Did you know that Jokic is 6th all time in triple doubles with 92? He trails LeBron by 14 and Kidd by 15, so I think it's safe to say that before you know it Jokic will find himself in the top 4 (Magic has 138 and is 3rd). I know in 2023 people tend to shit on triple doubles and try and act like they are no big deal, and I don't understand why. Is it because Russell Westbrook averaged one a few years in a row and people don't like him so they had to find a way to devalue it? Call me crazy, but finding a way to have a shit ton of points, rebounds, and assists in a basketball game is #actuallygood. If it were easy or common, everyone would do it. There's a reason we only see guys like Westbrook/Luka/Jokic consistently do it in today's game, because that shit is hard.

After last night's game, Nikola Jokic officially because the first player since Westbrook to average a triple double in a season at 25.1/11.1/10.0 while also shooting 63/38% from the floor. Those numbers are insane no matter how you want to slice it or who your favorite NBA team might be. It's OK to acknowledge that.

But what I loved most was the reaction from Jokic when he learned this little nugget about his season. It was absolutely the most on brand Jokic reaction I've ever seen

This is a man who did not give two shits about winning BACK TO BACK MVPs. A few weeks ago when he hit a game winner, to him it may as well have been a shot in the first quarter

So if you think he's going to care about being on the extremely short list of players who ever averaged a triple double in a season, I'm not sure you've been paying attention. Jokic doesn't care about any of this shit. MVPs, All NBAs, All Stars, triple doubles, things that other NBA stars openly cry about year after year, Jokic makes it clear that none of it matters. What matters to him is winning, and the fact that he's been so consistent with this since he entered the league as he continues to do outrageous shit is something I find very cool. 

For other players, you'd probably think this wasn't genuine or it was all an act, but we have enough of a body of work to know that this is just how Jokic is wired. Imagine being so good at something that not even doing historic things that almost no player in NBA history has ever done doesn't even remotely get your blood pumping. 

The MVP race is still wide open as far as I'm concerned, and my guess is it will stay that way through the rest of the year. There's still too much up for grabs. If Embiid carries the Sixers to the 1 seed? He'll probably win it. If Jokic has the Nuggets as a 1 seed and the best record in the NBA while averaging a triple double, he'll probably win a 3rd. Guys like Giannis and Tatum are still alive. You can't forget about Luka either if the Mavs somehow land a top 4 seed (currently 1 game back).

It's going to be a fantastic race, and really the only thing we know for certain is Jokic probably doesn't give two shits about who wins.