Nikola Jokic has never been the type to hide how he feels on a basketball court, whether that means showing frustration at a whistle or shaking his head after a missed rotation. But over the last week, something has shifted. After Denver’s 127–130 loss to the Chicago Bulls, where Jokic dropped 36 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists, he explained why he has decided to stop arguing with referees altogether. For a player who spent years barking at officials after nearly every missed call, the change has been noticeable.
Jokic was asked where the decision came from and why he suddenly seemed calmer on the court. His answer almost sounded like a player who had finally found a small bit of peace.
“I feel so much better out there. I don’t even think about them. It’s great.”
The question tied back to something that happened in training camp. During one of Denver’s scrimmages, Jokic had a long, open conversation with several referees who were working the session. Reporters wanted to know whether that talk was the moment he made up his mind about changing his approach. Jokic said the timing lined up exactly how he needed it.
“No, I think that was a perfect moment for me to talk with them. I don’t need to yell at them or we don’t need to yell back and forth. When the season starts, I think it’s really helped me to focus on the game.”
The Nuggets will take all the focus they can get from him, because Jokic is in the middle of one of the most overwhelming starts to a season any player has had. He isn’t just playing like an MVP. He’s leading the NBA in four major statistical categories at once: rebounds, assists, double-doubles, and triple-doubles. And he’s ninth in scoring. No modern center has ever touched that combination.
He’s putting up 29.2 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 11.1 assists on 64.8% shooting from the field and 39.3% from three. He makes those numbers look simple. They’re not. Guards don’t shoot like that. Centers don’t pass like that. Yet Jokic has made it routine. Denver’s 10-3 start reflects exactly how much control he has over every possession.
This past stretch has only pushed things further. Over six games, Jokic averaged 35.8 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists while shooting nearly 74 percent from the field and 56 percent from three. That same run produced an 85.2 percent true shooting mark, the best five-game efficiency stretch ever recorded. And he did it without breaking rhythm.
He also stacked three rare stat lines in eight days: a 50-point game, a 30–15–15 game, and a 25-point night without taking a single free throw. Most players never hit one of those in a career. Jokic hit all of them in a week.
It explains why he feels no need to spend energy yelling at officials anymore. His game is speaking loudly enough on its own. And right now, he’s shaping another season where the Nuggets look like one of the only teams capable of challenging Oklahoma City at the top of the West.
For Jokic, fewer arguments have meant more clarity. And somehow, even more dominance.
