Gregg Popovich on Victor Wembanyama’s respect for Nikola Jokic

Gregg Popovich spoke about the respect Victor Wembanayma gained for Nikola Jokic after the San Antonio Spurs’ win over the Denver Nuggets.

The San Antonio Spurs have sat at the bottom of the Western Conference for most of the season, but lately, they’ve been surging forward. Their level of play has improved significantly, and in their most recent game against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, they put this on display.

Not only did the Spurs keep things close against the reigning champions, but star rookie Victor Wembanyama got to battle it out with arguably the best player in the world, Nikola Jokic. The two big men played incredible games, but in the end, the Nuggets finished on top, earning a 110-105 victory over the Spurs.

After the game, head coach Gregg Popovich said that Wembanyama gained a ton of respect for Jokic because of the game. (H/t ESPN)

“Well, sure. Victor gained a lot of respect tonight becaus e Nikola is the best,” Popovich said. “For Victor to want to guard him and to learn, it was a real testament to how good he wants to be. To go up against Nikola, like I said, shows a lot. And he is learning by the minute.”

If Wembanyama wants to be the best, he’ll have to beat the best. Jokic is firmly in that path.

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