Nikola Jokić Voted as Starter for 2021 NBA All-Star Game

Nikola Jokić Voted as Starter for 2021 NBA All-Star Game

 

Jokić named NBA All-Star for third consecutive season

 

 

DENVER, Feb. 18, 2021 – The NBA announced today that Nuggets center Nikola Jokić has been selected as a starter for the 2021 NBA All-Star game on Sunday, Mar. 7 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

 

He becomes the first Nugget to start in an All-Star game since Carmelo Anthony in 2011 and joins Alex English and David Thompson as the only Nugget players to be selected to three straight NBA All-Star games.

 

Jokić, 25, is averaging 27.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.57 steals (all career-highs), while shooting .570 from the field and .402 from three in 35.9 minutes per game. He has recorded the most double-doubles (25) in the NBA this season and became just the second player since 1976 to post a double-double in each of the first 20 games of a season (B. Walton).

 

Among the NBA ranks, Jokić is first in PER (31.48), third in triple doubles (6), fifth in assists (8.6), sixth in steals (1.57), eighth in points (27.4) and eighth in rebounds (11.1). He is also tied for the league lead with three games of 40+ points.

 

Jokić won Western Conference Player of the Month for games played in December/January, averaging 27.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.80 steals while shooting .565 from the field in the month of January. It was the second time in his career he averaged at least 25.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting above 55.0% from the field in a month (min. 10 games) and he is the only center since 1983 to record those numbers.

 

On Dec. 29th at Sacramento, Jokić recorded his 44th career triple-double with 26 points (9-14 FG’s), 12 assists and 10 rebounds in 39 minutes, overtaking Fat Lever for the most triple-doubles in franchise history. He now has 47 career triple-doubles, ranking him ninth all-time in NBA history. Jokić also became the first center since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975 to record 50 points and 10 assists in a game after he posted a career-high 50 points (20-33 FG’s, 3-6 3FG’s, 7-7 FT’s), 12 assists, eight rebounds and three blocks in 41 minutes at Sacramento on Feb. 6th.

 

The Sombor, Serbia native was selected with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He has appeared in 409 career games (368 starts) over six seasons with Denver, averaging 17.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.10 steals per game.

 

This marks the third NBA All-Star selection for Jokić and he becomes the fifth Nuggets player to be selected to three or more All-Star games (Anthony, English, Mutombo, Thompson).