On Tuesday, MVP award frontrunner Nikola Jokic and Rookie of the Year award favorite Victor Wembanyama partook in a duel for the ages as the Denver Nuggets‘ escaped with a narrow 110-105 win over the San Antonio Spurs. Jokic scored 42 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, and dished six assists, while Wembanyama filled the stat sheet with 23 points, 15 rebounds, nine blocks, eight assists, and one steal, per NBA.com.
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Despite having his way for most of the night, Wembanyama managed to get under Jokic’s skin with three emphatic blocks on the two-time MVP. In the post-game press conference, the Nuggets superstar revealed he jokingly warned the Spurs’ rookie sensation to stop blocking shots. He said,
“I told him if you block one more shot, I’m gonna… something. But he blocked like four after that so I didn’t do anything.”
Jokic was the latest victim of Wembanyama’s block party. This was the Spurs rookie’s 10th game with six or more blocks in a single contest. Milwaukee Bucks’ Brook Lopez is the next closest with six games of six or more blocks. Wembanyama and Lopez are the only players this season, with nine or more blocks in a game this season. In February, the Spurs star blocked 10 shots in a game against the Toronto Raptors, becoming the first player to achieve the feat since Clint Capela did it in 2021.
Wembanyama is averaging a league-high 3.4 blocks per game. He has already established himself as one of the best defensive players in the NBA. However, despite the rookie’s best effort and refusal to heed Jokic’s warning, he couldn’t stop the two-time MVP from having one of his best outings of the season and leading the Nuggets to a critical win in their quest for the top spot in the Western Conference standings.
As for ‘The Joker’s comments, it’s hard not to chuckle as he did at the whole situation, especially given that Wemby failed to give any heed to the reigning Finals MVP’s words.
Fans laud Nikola Jokic for honest assessment of battle against Victor Wembanyama
In the post-game press conference, Jokic was asked if he felt like he was Tim Duncan to the new generation of players the same way the Spurs legend was to him when he was a rookie. He responded,
“I think I’m far away from Tim Duncan. Wemby did a much better job if I’m Tim Duncan than I did against Tim Duncan.”
Fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, lauded Jokic for his honest answers about Wembanyama. One fan noticed a change in the Nuggets superstar’s demeanor around the Spurs rookie:
Another fan noted the tremendous respect Jokic showcases when speaking about opponents:
One fan pulled receipts and proved Jokic was being too humble about his battle against Tim Duncan:
Jokic’s dry humor and nonchalant attitude toward questions from journalists have made him one of the most endearing players in the NBA. Fans are in awe of his prowess on the basketball court and are amused by his behavior off it.
