For the past several years, Nikola Jokic has been the NBA's undisputed best center. Sure, Joel Embiid outdueled him for the 2023 NBA MVP, but he won the award each of the previous years and the year after, keeping the crown as the league's top big man.
Now, though, the tide might be turning. Jokic is still in the prime of his career, and many argue he remains the top overall player in the NBA despite losing back-to-back MVPs to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but one newcomer is on the verge of stealing the throne.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is challenging Jokic as the world's best center, but in the 2026-27 NBA GM survey by NBA.com, the league's executives were split on this debate.
When asked about the best center in the NBA, Jokic earned 63% of the votes from NBA GMs, compared to Wembanyama's 37%. However, when asked about the best international player in the NBA, things shifted. Wembanyama earned 53% of the votes as the best international player in the league, while Jokic got the remaining 47%. That doesn't make much sense, but let's dive deeper into the debate.
Jokic vs. Wembanyama
Wembanyama is coming off an incredible season, leading the Spurs to an NBA Finals appearance, but it is hard to say he has overtaken Jokic as the league's top center or international player.
Statistically, Jokic gets the slight edge. Last season, he averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, 10.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, finishing second in MVP voting. Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steal, and 3.1 blocks per game, finishing third in MVP voting and winning Defensive Player of the Year unanimously.
To dive a bit deeper into this debate, let's look at their head-to-head matchups after seven meetings with each other:
Head-to-Head | Nikola Jokic | Victor Wembanyama |
|---|---|---|
Wins | 5 | 2 |
Points | 37.3 | 26.4 |
Rebounds | 10.9 | 15.1 |
Assists | 9.1 | 4.4 |
Steals | 1.1 | 1.9 |
Blocks | 1.4 | 4.1 |
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 4, 2025Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic BATTLED in a Spurs-Nuggets thriller 🔥
Wemby:
35 points
18 rebounds
14-of-21 FG
4-of-6 3PTJoker:
41 points
18 rebounds
9 assists
15-of-36 FG pic.twitter.com/kdXck9PhQa
The biggest difference between these two players comes on the defensive end. Jokic is the best offensive player on the planet, while Wembanyama is the best defensive player.
When looking toward the future, it seems obvious that 22-year-old Wembanyama is on the verge of overtaking 31-year-old Jokic, but heading into the 2026-27 season, it feels like the Nuggets superstar still has the edge. Of course, the NBA GMs could not go wrong either way when voting between the two, which is likely what caused the conflict in answers for best center and best international player.
In fact, the GMs seem to believe Wembanyama could overtake Jokic as soon as this season. Wembanyama earned 77% of the votes for predicting the 2026-27 NBA MVP winner, while Jokic was second with 10%.
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) August 20, 2026
With the Nuggets and Spurs set to face off three times this season, all within the last six weeks leading up to the playoffs, this brewing Jokic-Wembanyama "rivalry" will only heat up. Granted, the two superstar centers do not view it as a rivalry, with Jokic only showing love to Wembanyama, even saying, "he definitely has the opportunity to be the best ever." Still, the fans love it when these two go at it on the court.
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