Nikola Jokic added another line to his already remarkable résumé on Monday, as the NBA announced that the Denver Nuggets center became the first player to lead the league in both rebounds and assists per game in a season since 1969-70.
Jokic finished the 2025-26 regular season atop both categories, averaging 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game. The last time a player matched that kind of per-game dual dominance was more than five decades ago, when the NBA began using averages to determine statistical leaders.
The league noted that Wilt Chamberlain also led in both categories in 1967-68, but that season was measured by totals, not per-game figures. Jokic’s achievement is different because it reflects sustained production across every night of the regular season.
The Denver star also remained one of the league’s most complete offensive threats, finishing eighth in scoring at 27.7 points per game. That kind of output is rare for a player who also runs the offense and controls the glass at the highest level.
Denver’s title push will now begin with Jokic carrying a statistical profile unlike anything the modern NBA has seen. His 2025-26 season combined scoring, playmaking, and rebounding in a way that kept the Nuggets near the top of the Western Conference standings all year.
The numbers help explain why Jokic continues to separate himself from the rest of the league. He finished ahead of players such as Luka Donic, who led the NBA in scoring at 33.5 points per game, while still managing to lead all big men in both of the other major categories that define a team’s possession game.
With the playoffs ahead, the Nuggets will count on the same traits that produced this milestone. Jokic’s ability to start possessions, end possessions, and create advantages in between is the kind of edge that can swing a postseason series.
