NBA History First! Jokić Leads League in Assists and Rebounds Per Game: Is MVP Still Possible?

For 53 years since Chamberlain played his last NBA game, he has rarely been mentioned as frequently as during the 2025-26 season. A month ago, Miami's Adebayo scored 83 points against the Wizards, instantly igniting media frenzy and causing Chamberlain's legendary 100-point performance to be repeatedly discussed again. Two days later, Oklahoma City's Alexander scored 20+ points for the 127th consecutive game, breaking Chamberlain's record of 126 games set between 1961 and 1963.

The current Rookie of the Year race is also the most fiercely contested in recent years: Charlotte's Knupel versus Dallas's Flagg. These former Duke University roommates are competing for the trophy named after Chamberlain—the award, voted on by media, is given to the season's top rookie.

Now, as Monday's season statistics are about to be finalized, another record related to Chamberlain is about to be born: Jokić is set to become the first player in NBA history to lead the league in both rebounds per game (12.9) and assists per game (10.9). The only time this achievement was approached historically occurred in the 1967-68 season—yes, again, it was Chamberlain.

Chamberlain led the NBA in total rebounds (1992) and total assists (702) that season. In that era, total statistics were more valued than per-game averages, and many players aimed to play most or even all games. Notably, Hall of Fame member Oscar Robertson had the highest assists per game (9.7) in 1967-68 but played only 65 games for Cincinnati, while Chamberlain played all 82. Robertson's total assists (633) were 69 fewer than Chamberlain's.

Now, Jokić's epic statistical performance, combined with his team's current 11-game winning streak (14 wins, 2 losses since March 12), will undoubtedly boost his MVP candidacy, just as it helped the Nuggers climb the Western Conference standings. But the exact impact remains to be seen: last season, as a center averaging a triple-double, he only received second-place votes among three MVP winners. Currently, Oklahoma City's Alexander remains the top MVP favorite, and in both media and player preliminary surveys, Alexander has garnered the most support.

Some historical context is still worth noting: before the 1965-66 season, only two centers in the entire league averaged 5.0 assists per game for a season—Chamberlain achieved it twice, Celtics' Russell once.

In comparison, Jokić averaged 6.1 assists per game in his third season, has averaged over 7 assists per game for the past eight years, and has a career average of 7.5 assists per game. This season marks his second consecutive year averaging a triple-double, achieving 34 triple-doubles in 64 appearances.