A former OKC Thunder player has given Victor Wembanyama a victory over Nikola Jokic in international play.
Jaylen Hoard, who played with the Thunder during the 2021-2022 NBA season, drilled the game-winning layup to give the Wembanyama-led France a win over the Jokic-led Serbia, 91-90, in a friendly game on Sunday, August 23.
The game is part of both national teams’ preparations for the FIBA World Cup European qualifying window next week.
Trailing after Serbia’s Marko Gudurić hit a go-ahead basket with 4.7 seconds left, France completed a final inbound play in which the defense focused on Sylvain Francisco, leaving Hoard wide open under the rim to convert the winning layup off a fast break as the final buzzer sounded.
Wembanyama led France with 18 points, while Jokic dominated for Serbia with 34 points and 13 rebounds.
It was their second friendly game in four days. In the first game, Serbia took down France, 90-87.
Jaylen Hoard’s NBA Career Before Becoming Teammates With Wembanyama
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 08: Jaylen Hoard #14 of the Oklahoma City Thunder scores between Dwight Howard #39, Austin Reaves #15 and Stanley Johnson #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena on April 08, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Jaylen Hoard played three seasons in the NBA from 2019 to 2022, appearing in 39 regular-season games and averaging 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest.
After going undrafted out of Wake Forest in 2019, the French-American forward started his NBA career with a two-way deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. He played 13 games for the Blazers during the 2019-2020 season while logging assignments in the G League.
Hoard spent the next two years with the Oklahoma City Thunder and with their G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. His tenure with the Thunder culminated in a historic performance on April 6, 2022, when he exploded for a career-high 24 points and 21 rebounds against his former team, the Trail Blazers.
Hoard ultimately moved overseas following the 2021-2022 season to establish a career in Europe.
Wembanyama Receives High Praise From Jokic
GettyFrance’s #32 Victor Wembanyama (L) and Serbia’s #15 Nikola Jokic react during the friendly basketball match between Serbia and France, at the Belgrade Arena, in Belgrade, on August 20, 2026. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP via Getty Images)
After their first friendly game, Nikola Jokic sang praises for Victor Wembanyama, whom he thinks has the tools to be one of the greatest players to ever play the sport.
“He definitely has an opportunity to be the most unique basketball player we have ever seen; it depends on how hard he is going to work, how he is going to fit, how he is going to find his spots and so on, but he definitely can be the best, the most unique one ever,” Jokic said.
“He’s definitely special, because of how unique he is, as a player and as a person. I don’t see it as a rivalry,” he added.
Wembanyama is already the team captain of the France national team at just the age of 22.
He is leading the squad full of NBA veterans such as Rudy Gobert and ex-NBA journeyman Evan Fournier.
Wembanyama is coming off his first NBA Finals run with the San Antonio Spurs, which they lost in five games against the reigning NBA champions New York Knicks.
Wembanyama, nevertheless, proved to be an unstoppable force in the NBA, dethroning the OKC Thunder in the Western Conference Finals to stamp his place in the West.
France will get to witness Wembanyama’s greatness once more with these international games.
Former OKC Thunder Player Gives Wembanyama A Win Over Nikola Jokic