Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic just spent two games reminding everyone why their matchups carry so much weight.
The San Antonio Spurs star and the Denver Nuggets center faced off in an exhibition series that served as part of France and Serbia’s preparation for the latest window of the FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers. Serbia took the first game, 90-87, in Belgrade on Thursday, with Jokic putting together a near triple-double: 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Wembanyama had a rough night by his standards, finishing with 10 points, four rebounds and six turnovers.
France answered on Sunday in Orleans, edging Serbia 91-90 thanks to Jaylen Hoard’s game-winner. Wembanyama looked sharper in the rematch, finishing with 18 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Jokic was once again a force, piling up 34 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
After those battles, Wembanyama made it clear he values every minute spent trying to solve Jokic.
“You always learn when you play against Jokic. You always catch some stuff and smarter moves on the court in those duels with him,” said the Defensive Player of the Year, as quoted in a report from BasketNews.
The two big men are coming at this from very different recent NBA seasons. Wembanyama led the Spurs to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014, while Jokic and the Nuggets were knocked out in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Even so, both San Antonio and Denver remain positioned among the Western Conference’s top contenders, with Wembanyama and Jokic still driving the conversation for their teams. Their next NBA meeting won’t come until March at Frost Bank Center.
For now, Wembanyama is turning his focus back to France, where he is making his first return to the national team since the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Our plan is simple. We are going to Paris in a day or two, continue with our preparations, and then we play the qualifier games,” said the two-time All-Star.
France enters the stretch with a 5-1 record and will face Slovenia on August 28 before taking on Sweden on August 30.
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