The 2022-2023 season was remarkable for many reasons. The Sacramento Kings made the playoffs for the first time in 17 years, Miami Heat reached the NBA Finals as the 7th seed, LeBron James became the league’s all-time leading scorer surpassing none other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Golden State Warriors set a then record for most three-pointers in a season with 1,363 and the Denver Nuggets won their first-ever franchise title.
Although Denver cruised relatively easily to the Finals, facing no team with 50+ wins in the regular season, they finished 16-4 and took home the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray delivered playoff performances for the ages, becoming the first duo in history to record a triple-double in the Finals.
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One of the greatest postseason performances in NBA history
Jokic also tallied 10 triple-doubles during the playoffs, breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record of seven. He became the first player with 500+ points, 250+ rebounds, and 150+ assists in a single postseason, leading all players in points, rebounds and assists. With averages of 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.2 assists, he earned Finals MVP, becoming the first center to do so since Shaquille O’Neal.
Individually, this ranks as one of the greatest postseason performances in the Association’s history. Denver also became the fifth different champion in five seasons, highlighting an era of parity. They looked poised to become a dynasty and the unstoppable Serbian center gave them reason to believe. His dominance in that postseason is perhaps best summarized by his Serbian NT teammate Nikola Jovic, speaking on the SwishCast podcast.
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“I didn’t play much in the NBA Finals against Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, but I was there for the whole series. The whole scouting report and defense is about him, and he still ends the game with 30 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists after 100 games in the season in the fifth game of the Finals. He just has that type of player that is unstoppable” Jovic addressed.
Heat threw everything at Jokic
Jovic, still a rookie at the time with a limited role, saw firsthand how not even Bam Adebayo, one of the league’s best defensive centers, fourth in DPOY voting that season, could stop him. Erik Spoelstra, known for his defensive-minded approach, simply had no answer.
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Even though Jokic dominated every game in that series, the one Jovic highlights was Game 3, a crucial game where the Joker posted 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists on 12-21 shooting. One of the most dominant performances in NBA Finals history came at a 1-1 series tie, with Jokic carrying his team like few have before.
It’s astonishing what the three-time MVP had already accomplished by age 30. A guy who had a Taco Bell ad on air while his name was called at draft night, practically a third-string center in his rookie season, clearly overweight and with physical limitations in a low-profile Denver franchise, is now seen as one of the greatest ever.
Every Jokic game is a record alert
It’s interesting how Jokic’s path to the NBA stardom was shaped by a rejection from European powerhouse Barcelona. His agent Misko Raznatovic thinks that was a lucky occasion which forced him to end up in Colorado.
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“He was in his mind already in red and blue, he just needed to put on the jersey,” Raznatovic said. “The deal with Barcelona was completely done. We decided to pull Jokic from the draft, which upset four or five teams, with Denver leading that frustration. I honestly didn’t think he was ready to go to the NBA from Mega, not because of talent, but his physique, he needed a lot of work. I was fine with him going to the EuroLeague, Barcelona, we agreed on a three-year contract.”
Who knows if Jokic had stayed in Europe and taken a starring role there, whether he would have ever come to the NBA, given his mentality and how close he wants to be to his home and his horses. Thankfully, basketball fans worldwide have been rewarded with the chance to watch records fall almost nightly. Every Jokic game is a record alert; he is simply that good and efficient.
He has proven himself at every level, culminating on the highest stage – the NBA Finals.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.