Dec 19, 2025
Nikola Jokic Surpasses Kareem Abdul Jabbar in Assists
Nikola Jokić became the NBA's all time leader in assists by a center, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 5,660 while helping the Nuggets beat the Magic 126 115 for their sixth straight win. He finished with 13 assists, 23 points and 11 rebounds for his 13th triple double of the season. Merlin notes how quickly Jokić rewrote history: 771 games compared with Kareem's 1,560, and a 7.4 assists per game average versus Kareem's 3.6. Jokić said he "won't really think about this latest historic moment until after his career is over." For now his passing and all around game are steering Denver toward the top of the West.
🧙♂️ Merlin’s Prediction
Odds of the Nuggets finishing with the No 1 seed in the West this season: 40%.
