The highly anticipated encounter between Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama concluded tonight at the Belgrade Arena. Serbia managed to beat France in front of 20,000 fans in attendance, 90-87 (22-19, 24-26, 26-17, 18-25). Nikola Jokic was the star of the night, finishing close to a triple-double. Jokic scored 20 points (4/10 2PT, 1/3 3PT, 9/12 FT), grabbed 9 rebounds, and dished out 8 assists in 29 minutes. Nikola Jovic was also in double digits, as the Miami Heat forward scored 10 points and collected 4 rebounds. Victor Wembanyama struggled, finishing with 10 points (2/2 2PT, 1/6 3PT, 3/4 FT), 4 rebounds, and 6 turnovers in 24 minutes on the court.
More on Nikola Jokic: Recent HoopsHype Rumors
Vincent Collet: “On the other hand, I think (Nikola) Jokic is the best offensive
player. The way he creates for his teammates while also scoring with very high efficiency makes him a real threat to any team. If you have Jokic, you have a good team, regardless of who plays with him. When he plays for Serbia, he has many good players around him, and he is the one who makes the others better. He has so many qualities, but the main one is his ability to make his teammates better.” — 8/18/2026 EuroHoops.net
Despite returning to a team that has changed since Paris 2024, Wembanyama has found the reintegration process straightforward. “It wasn’t difficult at all,” he said. “In a way, we are almost all new, and Freddy is relatively new as well. Evan has just returned, too. When you look at the group, I have played with or against almost everyone, apart from maybe one or two players.” The road to the World Cup in Qatar intensifies with two preparation exhibitions against Nikola Jokic and a formidable Serbian squad, first in Belgrade and then back in Orleans. — 8/17/2026 EuroHoops.net
Furthermore, the Bosnian executive also confronted the persistent, inflated rumors surrounding the franchise’s spending power, noting how the media frequently exaggerates their transfer links, referring to Panathinaikos Aktor owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos revealing a bid for NBA superstar Nikola Jokic. “When the owner of a club comes out and publicly says he made an offer to Jokic, that is fine. Imagine if Dubai had done that. Imagine if I came out and said, ‘We made an offer to Jokic’. How would you look at us? What would happen?”, he mentioned, highlighting the double standards in public perception and clarifying that the operational budget actually ranks outside the top five in the EuroLeague. — 8/16/2026 EuroHoops.net
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos recently revealed that he made a serious attempt to bring the Denver Nuggets superstar to Athens, claiming that an offer was presented both to Jokic and his NBA team. Now, Jokic's longtime agent, Misko Raznatovic, has confirmed that Giannakopoulos was telling the truth. "What Giannakopoulos said is true," Raznatovic told Athletiko. — 8/11/2026 BasketNews
Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos recently revealed that he had made an offer to bring Nikola Jokic to Athens, claiming it was rejected almost immediately. The Greek businessman maintained that the offer was genuine, with Jokic’s longtime agent, Misko Raznatovic, subsequently confirming his account in a statement to Mozzart Sport. “Everything Dimitris said in his interview with Euro Insiders regarding the offer to Nikola Jokic is true. In 30 years of working in this business, I have never encountered an offer like that. Given the very direct relationship I have with him, I immediately explained that the offer could not be considered,” Raznatovic said. — 8/11/2026 EuroHoops.net
“I always wanted Milos Teodosic. However, there is one player who remains a dream of mine, whom I haven’t signed yet, but I will sign next year,” he teased. When the hosts questioned who it could be, he boldly proclaimed: “It’s Jokic, the best player in the world!” Faced with immediate skepticism, Giannakopoulos doubled down on his claim. “Don’t laugh at all. If I don’t sign Jokic, I’m not going anywhere,” he stressed. — 8/10/2026 EuroHoops.net
Panathinaikos Aktor owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos openly shared his ultimate transfer dream during the second part of an interview with the Euro Insiders podcast, published on Monday. The outspoken Greens executive sent shockwaves by revealing his grand plan to secure former NBA champion and three-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic next summer. This is not the first time he has expressed this desire. — 8/10/2026 EuroHoops.net
Rajakovic holds an equally profound reverence for the generational talent emerging from his home country. “I think Nikola Jokic is the best Serbian player of all time. I think he is one of the best players in the history of sports,” he stated regarding the sport’s ultimate elite tier. — 8/7/2026 EuroHoops.net
Serbia has officially revealed its preliminary roster for the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifying windows in August, and the biggest headline is Nikola Jokic. The Denver Nuggets superstar is set to help his national team once again, after representing his nation in July's window. However, Bogdan Bogdanovic remains unavailable for the upcoming window, even though there was an expectation that the 33-year-old would be able to rejoin the team. Serbia will also be missing Filip Petrusev and young guard Nikola Topic. — 8/6/2026 BasketNews
With Nikola Jokic's extension status playing a key role, the franchise has become a team many are closely monitoring, according to NBA insider Marc Stein on the DNVR Nuggets Podcast. "There are a lot of eyeballs on the Denver Nuggets right now league-wide," Stein revealed. "There is a lot of curiosity about where this team is going and, let's face it, [Nikola] Jokic could have signed an extension for the second straight summer and did not. And even if that is 1,000% motivated by the finances involved, it's still going to get other teams whispering, monitoring — you know, pick your adjective — but this is going to be a topic. — 8/4/2026 BasketNews
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Nikola Jokic has 20 points, nine rebounds, eight assists in 90-87 win for Serbia over Victor Wembanyama and France
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