Nikola Jokić Voted as Starter for 2022 NBA All-Star Game
Jokić named NBA All-Star for fourth consecutive season, starter for Second straight year
DENVER, Jan. 27, 2022 – The NBA announced today that Nuggets center Nikola Jokić has been selected as a starter for the 2022 NBA All-Star game on Sunday, Feb. 20 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
This is Jokić’s fourth straight All-Star selection and second consecutive year being named an All-Star Starter. He joins Alex English and David Thompson as the only Nugget players to be selected to start in consecutive All-Star games and is just the third Nuggets player ever to be selected to four-or-more All-Star games (Anthony, English).
Jokić, 26, is averaging 26.2 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.40 steals, while shooting .571 from the field and .371 from three in 33.2 minutes per game this season. The Joker recently became the first player in NBA history to tally 5,000 career rebounds and 3,000 career assists in less than 500 games played. He also posted 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 250 assists in the first 39 games of the season, the least amount of games to reach those numbers in NBA history (Oscar Robertson- 41 games, 1961-62).
Among the NBA ranks, Jokić is first in PER (Player Efficiency Rating) at 33.1 which would be the highest single season PER in NBA history (surpassing Chamberlain’s 32.1 in 1961-62). He leads the NBA in double-doubles (36), triple-doubles (11) and 20-20 games (he has four alone while rest of NBA has eight combined). The big man ranks second in the NBA in rebounds (13.8), seventh in scoring (26.2), ninth in assists (7.6) and ninth in field goal percentage (.571). He also leads the NBA in field goals made (423) while ranking just 15th in field goal attempts (741).
Jokić is coming off winning Western Conference Player of the Week honors (1/17 to 1/23) where he averaged 36.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 10.0 assists and 2.30 steals, shooting .650 from the field and .400 from three-point range while helping lead the Nuggets to a 2-1 week. He kicked the week off by recording a season-high 49 points (16-25 FG, 3-5 3FG, 14-16 FT), 14 rebounds, 10 assists and three steals in a season-high 41 minutes vs. LAC on 1/19. He joined Larry Bird and Russell Westbrook as the only players in NBA history to put up 49+ points, 14+ rebounds, 10+ assists and 3+ steals in game. He also became only the second center since 1970-71 (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 1975) to have a 45+ point triple double in a winning effort and it was the fourth most points ever in a triple double by a center. It marked Jokić’s 10th career game with 40+ points (8-2) and he is now one away from tying Kiki Vandeweghe for the fourth most such games in franchise history.
The Sombor, Serbia native was selected with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He has appeared in 495 career games (454 starts) over seven seasons with Denver, averaging 19.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.20 steals per game.
