Nikola Jokic has been pushing boundaries and redefining how the center position is viewed in the NBA for years, but the latest statistic provides perhaps the clearest illustration yet of just how unique his style of play is in basketball history.
Throughout his NBA career so far, including both regular-season and playoff games, the Serbian center and three-time NBA Most Valuable Player has played a total of 910 games. Across that span, he has produced an extraordinary statistical split: Jokic has recorded more games with a triple-double than games in which he has managed to dunk at least once.
Extraordinary numbers: 221 triple-doubles vs. 213 games with a dunk
The numbers are clear: Nikola Jokic has recorded 221 triple-double games during his NBA career, while he has registered at least one dunk in only 213 games.
In the modern era of basketball, dominated by otherworldly athleticism and high-flying big men, the statistic seems almost surreal. That is especially true when considering that it comes from a player who plays the traditional center position and stands 211 centimeters tall.
Nikola Jokić has had more games with a triple-double than games with a dunk.
— Crazy Stats (@NBAcrazystats) September 13, 2026
In 910 @NBA games (including playoffs), he has had 221 games with a triple-double and just 213 games with a dunk. pic.twitter.com/dmbBscTCJd
Finesse, feel and basketball IQ over raw power
Unlike many of the dominant centers throughout the history of the world’s strongest basketball league, whose offensive arsenals in the paint primarily relied on explosiveness, physical strength, rebounding and spectacular dunks, Jokic’s game operates on entirely different principles.
His greatest weapons are his exceptional court vision, soft touch, feel for the perfect pass and ability to establish position directly underneath the basket. When he finds himself close to the rim, instead of attacking the basket with a powerful dunk, Jokic will most often opt for a soft finish off the backboard, a precise hook shot or his trademark floater shot.
The statistic becomes even more remarkable when compared with the other great players at the top of the all-time triple-double rankings. All of them, whether they are guards or forwards, have hundreds or even thousands of dunks listed on their career resumes. Jokic, meanwhile, has reached the status of one of the most versatile players in basketball history by following a philosophy in which the ball goes through the hoop with as little reliance on raw physical force as possible.
Ultimately, this statistical oddity serves as yet another reminder that elite basketball intelligence, skill and technique can still outmatch raw athleticism at the highest level of the game.
