It’s not clear why NBA players past and present insist on disrespecting Nikola Jokic, but for whatever reason, the trend won’t seem to end. The latest player to throw some shots at the Joker came as a bit of a shock, as perhaps the heir apparent, the young, dominant international big man Victor Wembanyama, delivered some bulletin board material for the Nuggets’ three-time MVP.
Wemby was doing an interview with ESPN and was asked who he thinks is the best player in the league. He replied by saying, “Jokić is the best offensive player … I don’t think he’s the best player. (It’s) between Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander).”
Jokic was the first name he mentioned, but he almost gave him a backhanded compliment, implying that Jokic’s defense is bad enough to take him out of the conversation. Wemby has been anointed as the next great big man to eventually take the mantle from Jokic, so it’s interesting he wouldn’t recognize him here, given the opportunity.
Instead, he chose to shout out two other great international players, the Canadian guard of the Thunder, SGA, and the Greek Freak for the Bucks in Giannis. Obviously, those are two great players, but it’s pretty wild to hear such a brilliant young basketball mind choose to acknowledge them ahead of Jokic.
Wembanyama building rivalries around the NBA
Wemby seems like a very calculated young man, and I’m sure he knows exactly what he’s doing. The Spurs vs. Nuggets games have been appointment television ever since Victor was drafted, and they have quickly become the premier battle of big men that the league has to offer.
Meanwhile, Wembanyama has a natural rivalry with Chet Holmgren of OKC, so perhaps by praising his teammate, SGA, he’s trying to subtly put down a young American center in Chet. Also, Giannis appears to be more available than ever, and with the Spurs repeatedly rumored as one of the teams that could pounce, perhaps Wemby is buttering up a potential future teammate.
Either way, this just adds a little extra intrigue to the next matchup between the Spurs and Nuggets that should already have a marquee billing. It’s always heated between two contending teams with the two best centers in the league, but now there’s even a little extra juice thanks to these comments.
Wemby has been sidelined for weeks with a calf strain, but he’s due to finally return on Saturday for the Emirates NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas. The Spurs will take on SGA, Chet, and the Thunder for a spot in the Finals.