'One-of-a-Kind': Spurs Star Victor Wembanyama Earns 'Special' Praise from Nikola Jokić

The San Antonio Spurs walked out of Ball Arena with a road win in Game 1 of their two-game bout with the Denver Nuggets, and Victor Wembanyama was a big reason why, which earned him even more praise from Nikola Jokić.

Jan 3, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

SAN ANTONIO — Make it two in a row against The Joker for Victor Wembanyama and company.

Friday evening, the San Antonio Spurs took a trip to Denver for the first of two back-to-back games against Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets and after 48 minutes, 76 combined points and 36 combined rebounds, it was the visitors who emerged victorious.

Wembanyama continued his string of strong performances — a trend that carried over from December — and managed to will the Spurs to victory late in the fourth quarter.

"It's less and less walking through the forest blindly," the young star said of his continued improvement and understanding of the game.

READ MORE: How Wembanyama Found Beauty in Simplicity

Following the contest, the Spurs moved to the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and sit just two games out of the No. 4 seed. A year ago, such a task seemed daunting, though as the season rages on, a chance at the NBA's Play-In Tournament, at minimum, seems more and more attainable.

And if he wasn't already, Wembanyama is quickly becoming one of the most talented players in the league, which Jokić wasn't shy to address after his team's loss.

"He's better this year than last year," Jokić said, "and I think he's going to get even better ... he's a special player. He's going to be remembered (as) one-of-a-kind.

"He's going to be remembered forever."

Jan 3, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) controls the ball as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) guards in the third quarter at Ball Arena. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Since he entered the league, Wembanyama has had Jokić's support, so his comments come as no surprise. Though coming from a multi-time MVP and one of the premiere talents in the league, it's not likely something that the Spurs' newly-crowned 21-year-old takes lightly.

Luckily, he has another game — at home this time — to show more of what he's made of.

The Spurs and Nuggets tipoff from Frost Bank Center at 7 p.m. CST for Game 2 of their back-to-back series.

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