Nikola Jokic Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
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At this point, anything Nikola Jokić does on a basketball court shouldn’t come as a surprise.

So some fans may have yawned at the news Monday night that the Denver Nuggets superstar had set a record by recording his eighth triple-double of the postseason.

Jokić set the record in the third quarter with an assist that gave the Nuggets their first lead of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

OK, so another triple-double by Jokić, even in the postseason, is something we’ve come to expect.

Yet this one broke the postseason record, set by the legendary Wilt Chamberlain in 1967.

That’s a 56-year-old record, held by one of the greatest players in NBA history. Just think of all the great players since then who collected triple-doubles on a regular basis. LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Russell Westbrook … none of them compiled eight in a single postseason.

Here’s another way to put Jokić’s record in perspective: Only nine other players in history have eight or more career postseason triple-doubles. Johnson is the all-time leader with 30, followed by James with 28. In third place with 14 is, yes, Jokić.

And the NBA Finals are still to come. The Nuggets finished their sweep of the Lakers with a 113-111 win. Jokić put up 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists.

It’s easy to become jaded by Jokić making the extraordinary look ordinary, but fans were plenty impressed Monday.

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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