Nikola Jokic Dominates Victor Wembanyama in FIBA Outing as Embarrassing Stats Emerge for Spurs Star

Victor Wembanyama walked into Belgrade Arena wearing the captaincy for the first time, the youngest to hold it for France in 23 years, ready to set the tone for a program building around him. Nikola Jokic made sure the night belonged to someone else.

For a while, it looked like it might not. Serbia built a 12-point cushion with just over three minutes left, and France answered with a scrambling late run that trimmed the deficit to three. The chance to tie it fell to Wembanyama himself, a step-back three that never had a chance. Serbia held on, 90-87.

The final stat line made it clear who had actually won the individual duel. "Nikola Jokić had 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists in 29 minutes in Serbia's win over France today," NBA insider Andy Bailey reported on X. "Victor Wembanyama had 10 points and 6 turnovers."

It wasn't the first time these two had done this dance. Serbia and France met in an almost identical Olympic warm-up back in July 2024, and Serbia won that one too, 79-67, behind a near-carbon-copy Jokic line of 20 points and 12 rebounds. Bailey noted the pattern extends well beyond exhibitions. "In the 7 times Jokić has faced Wembanyama in the NBA, he's averaged 37.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.1 steals," he added.

For Wembanyama, fresh off an NBA Finals appearance with San Antonio, the loss was a rough start to a new role. For Jokic, it was just business as usual, a reminder that no opponent, however gifted, has yet figured out how to solve him.

Nikola Jokic Breaks Silence on Former Nuggets Teammate Getting Traded After Serbia-France Game

The game wasn't the only thing on Jokic's mind this week. On Wednesday, the Denver Nuggets sent Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a five-team sign-and-trade, netting Watson a four-year, $88 million contract in Cleveland while Denver walked away with future draft compensation instead of the player himself.

Watson had been a fixture in Denver since being drafted 30th overall in 2022, and his departure leaves a real hole. A reporter at the FIBA qualifiers asked Jokic directly what he made of losing his former teammate, and the Serbian star didn't hide his disappointment, even as he wished Watson well.

"I'm happy for Peyton; he deserved it. We will miss his energy & skill," Jokic said in an interview translated by ClutchPoints. "I don't think about the (NBA) season yet; we have to play (the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers), but it's gonna be okay."

That measured response hasn't stopped speculation from swirling around Jokic's own future. He has yet to sign a contract extension with Denver and holds a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28, and the Watson trade has only added fuel to persistent rumors linking him to the Lakers, where his friendship with Luka Doncic has long fueled talk of the two playing together.

None of that is on Jokic's radar right now, at least not publicly. Serbia and France run it back Sunday in Orleans for the second of their two exhibitions, before both teams turn to the real business of qualifying, Serbia hosting Iceland on August 28 and traveling to face Italy on August 31. Whatever happens with his NBA future, the FIBA World Cup path comes first.