NBA Star Nikola Jokic Gives Bold Goal For Upcoming Nuggets Season

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DENVER, COLORADO - DECEMBER 25: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets dribbles the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena on December 25, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images)

Heading into year 12 in the NBA, the Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokis is setting out a strong goal for himself.

Jokic wants to have a career year in the availability department, after barely making the 65-game mark in 2025-2026 due to a knee injury.

NBA Star Nikola Jokic Gives Bold Goal For Upcoming Nuggets Season

“I want to play every game,” Jokic said, according to MozzartSport.

“I played one season of 82 games. Maybe it shouldn’t be like that; maybe you need to rest a little. But I think that when you’re in a certain rhythm, the game comes to you normally, and in a way you even enjoy it. Even when I was injured, when I was absent from the field for a long time for the first time, I was nervous. I can say that I was really nervous, maybe for the first time in my life . ”

Being in the NBA since 2015, Jokic is one of the rare NBA superstars who rarely misses time on a yearly basis.

While he hasn’t played in all 82 games during a single season, he has reached the 80 mark twice. The first time was as a rookie. The second time was during his first All-Star season in 2018-2019.

Since then, Jokic has appeared in over 500 games. He’s been an All-Star each season and is consistently an MVP finalist, if not winning it.

Big Season Brewing For Jokic?

The pressure is high on Jokic in 2026-2027.

The Nuggets are coming off a disappointing first-round loss against an undermanned Minnesota Timberwolves, and they didn’t make too many changes in the offseason.

DeMar DeRozan is the team’s biggest free agency acquisition. Plus, they lost Peyton Watson.

Nobody expects Jokic to suddenly exit the MVP race. Last year, he still managed to come second in the running after posting averages of 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists. The rebounding and passing numbers were Jokic’s best.

Now, he’s looking forward to potentially making his games played number the highest of his career at 31 years old.