Nikola Jokic has never cared much for statistics, but one of his brothers certainly does. And when the NBA announced a new “heaves rule” this offseason, Jokic said his brother was the first to deliver the news with excitement.
“My brother is very happy about that because he tells me not to shoot those. I think it’s good. I think because maybe their players going to shoot more shots and going to do more highlight plays.”
The rule, announced in September, is designed to encourage players to throw up more desperate shots at the end of quarters. Starting this season, missed heaves from 36 feet or deeper, launched in the final three seconds of a period, will no longer count against a player’s individual shooting percentage. The stat will still count for the team, but players won’t be penalized on their box score for trying.
For a league that has long wrestled with players deliberately holding the ball rather than risking a half-court miss, the change is meant to promote creativity, improve entertainment value, and generate more highlight-reel buzzer-beaters.
If there’s one player who stands to benefit more than anyone, it’s Jokic.
The Denver Nuggets superstar attempted 22 heaves last season, an NBA record and 10 more than the next-closest player, Mikal Bridges. He connected on two of them, including a full-court swish that racked up 37 million views online, the fifth-most watched play of the entire regular season across NBA digital platforms.
Jokic, who already had a career year shooting 41.7% from beyond the arc, would have seen his official percentage rise above 44% if the new rule had been in effect
Head coach David Adelman sees both positives and drawbacks to the rule change. On one hand, it frees players like Jokic to do what they already do instinctively. On the other hand, Adelman noted that it highlights how modern basketball culture has become obsessed with percentages without context.
While the league is hoping for more viral moments, Jokic downplayed the idea of preparing for them in practice.
Whether or not other players embrace the change, Jokic will keep firing away. For him, it’s not about the numbers; it’s about the chance to make the impossible look routine.
And with the NBA finally protecting his percentages, his brother can rest a little easier, too.
