“Nikola Jokic the First to Lead the Playoffs in 3 Categories?” Magic Johnson Astounded By Nuggets MVP’s Points, Assists, And Rebounds

Nikola Jokic had one of the most historic postseason runs ever. Lodging 10 triple-doubles, the Joker finished off an amazing season by leading the Nuggets to the franchise’s first-ever championship win. Dominating any type of defense that the opponent threw at him, the two-time MVP still managed to find a way to stack the stat sheet. Concluding the 2023 playoffs with 600 points, 269 rebounds, and 190 assists, the Joker left Magic Johnson astounded by leading the postseason in all three categories.

Despite playing different positions, one can draw similarities between Magic and Jokic’s style of play. The primary playmaker for the Nuggets, just like Johnson was, the Serbian almost always makes the correct judgment and finds the open teammate to drain shots.

Both being triple-double machines, Johnson had won the Finals MVP and the NBA ring much earlier in his career. In his first-ever postseason run, the youngster led the playoffs in assists (151), finished 3^rd in rebounds grabbed (168), and put up the 6^th most points (293). However, Johnson couldn’t help but be amazed looking at Jokic’s postseason stats.

Magic Johnson congratulates Nikola Jokic for a sensational Championship run

Right after the Nuggets were crowned NBA Champions, Johnson took to his Twitter to congratulate the 6-foot-11 big man for winning the Finals MVP trophy. In the tweet, the Hall-Of-Famer seemed to be astonished by the fact that the five-time All-Star led the playoffs in all three major statistical categories.

Even though the Colorado side had swept his Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, the five-time NBA champ wholeheartedly praised the 28-year-old in his tweet.

“Congratulations to NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic!! 600 points, 269 rebounds and 190 assists in the Playoffs? The first in NBA history to lead the Playoffs in all 3?”

While Jokic also led in field goals made, box plus-minus, and Player Efficiency rating, Jimmy Butler has led the playoffs in total steals. And Anthony Davis’ 50 blocks remains the most by any player in this year’s postseason.

What does the Championship and the Finals MVP mean for the Joker’s legacy?

Even though Joel Embiid won the 2023 MVP honors, Nikola Jokic has shut down the best center in the league debate after the Finals victory. Adding a WCF MVP, a Championship, and the Finals MVP to his resume, one can easily argue that Jokic is now the best player in the world.

In terms of his positioning in the all-time lists, the Joker has still not accomplished enough to be a top 15 player. While he has certainly entered the top 10 all-time centers conversation, he’s still a few accolades away from breaking into the top 5 list.

At only 28 years of age, Jokic has racked up a stellar trophy cabinet. With at least 5-7 years of his prime remaining, the Nuggets’ leader could go on to collect more silverware.