Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Nikola Jokic Compares Athletes to Horses After Historic 60-Point Triple-Double Performance

The Serbian center drew an analogy between horses and NBA athletes.

Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

It’s no secret that Nikola Jokic is not only an NBA superstar but also a passionate horse racing fan. The Serbian center even owns a horse farm in his home country. On Tuesday night (April 1), after a historic performance of 61 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the Denver Nuggets’ loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jokic used an interesting analogy to connect basketball with his equestrian passion.

“We are born for this. We train since we were little,” Jokic said. “My opinion is that horses are basically like athletes, and they’re really similar to us. They are born to run, and we are born to play.”

Despite the three-time MVP’s incredible effort, the Nuggets failed to secure a victory, finishing the regular-season series with four losses in four games against the Timberwolves. Notably, Denver was eliminated by Minnesota in last season’s playoffs, losing Game 7 at home while defending their championship title.

🃏 NIKOLA JOKIĆ, A GAME FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS 🃏

🤯 61 PTS
🤯 10 REB
🤯 10 AST
🤯 6 3PM
🤯 2 STL

An all-time showing from an all-time player! pic.twitter.com/fdFyl2RyHU
— NBA (@NBA) April 2, 2025

Jokic, however, did his part. With his remarkable stat line, he became just the third player in NBA history to record a triple-double with at least 60 points, joining James Harden and Luka Doncic. The Nuggets were also without Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., their second- and third-leading scorers, respectively.

Also Read: Nikola Jokic Is Having a Historic Season and It’s Even Better Than His MVP Season Last Year!

Nuggets Face Tough Schedule in Final Stretch of Season

On Wednesday (April 2), without Jokic, Murray, Porter Jr., or Aaron Gordon, Denver suffered a loss to a short-handed San Antonio Spurs team. In their final five games, the Nuggets will face the Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, and Houston Rockets.

As the season winds down, Denver is expected to fight until the end for the third seed in the Western Conference – a position they held before the loss to the Spurs. With that defeat, they were overtaken by the Los Angeles Lakers, who will face the Warriors on Thursday (April 3).