Jokic Says Victor Wembanyama Could Become 'The Best Ever'

Nikola Jokic has already seen enough from Victor Wembanyama to believe the Spurs star could reach a level basketball has never seen before.

Jokic faced Wembanyama as Serbia secured a 90-87 win over France at Belgrade Arena, finishing with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals.

After the game, the three-time NBA MVP made it clear he doesn’t view Wembanyama as simply another rival.

“He is a special opponent because he is unique as a player and as a person,” Jokic said, according to Eurohoops. “I don’t see him as a rival, and I don’t take this personally.”

But Jokic’s biggest praise came when discussing just how high Wembanyama’s ceiling could eventually become.

“He has the opportunity to be the most unique basketball player we’ve ever seen,” Jokic said, before adding that Wembanyama could become “the best ever.”

Wembanyama helped make France a difficult matchup for Serbia, particularly alongside fellow big man Rudy Gobert. Despite France making a late push, Jokic believed the game provided exactly the kind of challenge Serbia needed.

“It was a good test for us against a quality opponent that was missing several EuroLeague and NBA players,” Jokic said. “They are an unconventional team, especially with Victor and Rudy. They are dangerous, but we managed to control the game for the most part before suffering a drop. In the end, it was a good game for us.”

Jokic isn’t the only NBA legend placing enormous expectations on Wembanyama.

Heat legend Dwyane Wade recently explained that he wants to see the French superstar build a historic resume over the course of his career.

“I want Wemby to be so great,” Wade said during a podcast appearance. “Like, I want him to win five, six, whatever, how many rings, or Finals MVPs, and regular season MVPs. Like, I want to live and say I saw that.”

At just 22 years old, Wembanyama still has a long way to go before entering any greatest-ever conversation.

But when players with the resumes of Jokic and Wade are already talking about that kind of ceiling, it shows just how extraordinary the expectations surrounding Wembanyama have become.