Nikola Jokić tells booing Nuggets fans they 'don't need to come anymore' after the triple-double that passes Russell Westbrook
WhyNBA Sports Desk · Oct 25, 2026
The story
Nikola Jokić had a message for the Ball Arena crowd that booed the Denver Nuggets during the first half of their home opener: if that is how they feel, they can stay home.
The story
He said it a few minutes after finishing a 141-135 overtime win over the New Orleans Pelicans with 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, a triple-double that gave him the league's all-time lead over Russell Westbrook when regular season and playoffs are added together.
The story
Denver fell behind by 23 in the second quarter on Saturday, October 24, and the boos came with it. Asked about them afterward, Jokić did not soften anything.
The story
Fans who booed, he said, "don't need to come anymore," and he added that anyone who has followed this group knows "we never quit." In a separate answer, according to reports, he blamed the start on bad energy that simply took a few minutes to shake, and he said he still wants the fans behind the team.
The night behind the words
His own numbers explain why he felt entitled to say it. Jokić played 43 minutes and 38 seconds, made 12 of his 23 shots and all eight of his free throws, and added two steals and three blocks. He scored eight of Denver's 15 points in overtime and finished plus-11.
The night behind the words
He did turn the ball over six times, the one soft spot in the line.
The night behind the words
Jamal Murray carried the scoring with 42 points and eight threes, and rookie Trevon Brazile added 17 off the bench, but the comeback from 108-89 after three quarters ran through the center at the end. The full line for every player is on the Pelicans-Nuggets Game Center.
The night behind the words
It was also a sharp turn from the season opener. In a 96-84 loss at Oklahoma City on Thursday, October 22, Jokić scored 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting and was minus-20, according to his game log on his whynba player page.
Past Westbrook, with one record left
The triple-double was the 222nd of his career across the regular season and playoffs, DenverSports reported, one more than Westbrook's 221. Westbrook, who retired this summer, still owns the regular-season mark with 209.
Past Westbrook, with one record left
Jokić now has 199 regular-season triple-doubles, according to reports, which leaves him 10 away from that record. The rest of his total, 23, came in the playoffs, where he has piled them up at a far faster rate than Westbrook did.
Past Westbrook, with one record left
He averaged a triple-double in each of the last two regular seasons, so the remaining gap is the kind he has closed quickly before.
What comes next
The Nuggets, now 1-1, host the Golden State Warriors on Monday, October 26, at 10 p.m. ET, the next chance for the home crowd to answer him. Follow it on the Warriors-Nuggets Game Center. Denver then visits New Orleans for the rematch on Wednesday, October 28.
Photo credit
Trey Alexander, Maj. Gen. Joseph Ricciardi and Brandon Williams at the Nuggets’ Military Appreciation Night, Ball Arena, Nov. 10, 2024. U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. Nataja Ford.
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