Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić reminded everyone in the basketball world who he is on Christmas day. The three-time MVP dropped a stat line of 56 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was one of the craziest performances in NBA history.
There’s a ton of talk about Jokić reclaiming his rightful title as the best player in the world, despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning an MVP and NBA Finals trophy last season.
Jokić has left little doubt this year about his superior status above all other players in the league, and it might have something to do with his adjusted attitude towards officials.
In a surprising reveal, Joker recently admitted that his decision to stop interacting so much with refs has allowed him to take his game up another level.
“Stopping talking to the referees was the biggest thing for me (in terms of improving),” Jokić said. “I mean, I’m still going to talk to them, but I’m not going to lose my temper or energy over something I know isn’t going to change.”
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There are definitely a few superstars that come to mind who would benefit from a similar mindset.
Jokić has dominated in 2025-26 with averages of 29.8 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 11.0 assists over 30 games. His Christmas masterpiece was the crowning achievement of the season this far. It included 18 points in overtime and the third-highest scoring output on the holiday ever. This performance vaulted him to the MVP betting favorite.
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Jokic’s career, spanning from his 2014 draft as the 41st pick to now, features the aforementioned three MVP awards, one championship in 2023 with Finals MVP honors, seven All-Star selections, and seven All-NBA nods. He holds the record for most assists by a center and has 179 triple-doubles, blending unparalleled vision, scoring, and rebounding into a revolutionary big-man style.
Featured image via Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images
