Nikola Jokic Reacts To NBA’s Heaves Rule Change: “My Brother Is Very Happy About That”

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Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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.

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Vishwesha Kumar is a staff writer for Fadeaway World from Bengaluru, India. Graduating with a Bachelor of Technology from PES University in 2020, Vishwesha leverages his analytical skills to enhance his sports journalism, particularly in basketball. His experience includes writing over 3000 articles across respected publications such as Essentially Sports and Sportskeeda, which have established him as a prolific figure in the sports writing community.Vishwesha’s love for basketball was ignited by watching LeBron James, inspiring him to delve deeply into the nuances of the game. This personal passion translates into his writing, allowing him to connect with readers through relatable narratives and insightful analyses. He holds a unique and controversial opinion that Russell Westbrook is often underrated rather than overrated. Despite Westbrook's flaws, Vishwesha believes that his triple-double achievements and relentless athleticism are often downplayed, making him one of the most unique and electrifying players in NBA history, even if his style of play can sometimes be polarizing. 
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