Victor Wembanyama has long been pitted against Nikola Jokic in the debate over who really is the greatest basketball player in the world today.
For Vincent Collet, a former head coach of Wembanyama in the French league, the San Antonio Spurs superstar is the best player right now, but Jokic is the best offensive player.
“In defense, for me Wemby is already the best player in the world,” he said in his interview with Meridian Sport. “On the other side, I think Jokic is the best offensive player.”
“Victor is going to become the best player in the world. I just don’t know exactly when. Last year, they didn’t face off in the playoffs. Jokic was eliminated earlier, but in the semifinals, I even think he was better than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in that series. The way he carried his team was incredible.”
“His size and length are amazing, especially because he moves like a guard. He is 7-foot-4, but he moves like a guard. He is very quick and also very smart. That is why, defensively, he is already the best in the world for me.”
Deux matchs face à la Serbie attendent l’équipe de France masculine avant la fenêtre de qualifications pour la Coupe du monde 2027 à la fin
Victor Wembanyama Is Poised For Greater Heights In The NBA
GettySan Antonio Spurs’ French forward-centre Victor Wembanyama attends the second edition of his event “Hoop Gambit”, a chess and basketball tournament at Gymnase Pierre Curvat in Le Chesnay, south-west of Paris, on August 8, 2026. (Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP via Getty Images)
Wembanyama had an outstanding 2025-2026 NBA season, putting up 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and a league-leading 3.08 blocks per game.
He also won his first Defensive Player of the Year award and earned All-NBA First Team honors.
Meanwhile, Jokic finished second in the MVP voting behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the second straight season. However, Jokic’s Denver Nuggets lost in the first round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
For Collet, Jokic raises the floor of any team he plays for, no matter how good the roster is.
“On the other hand, I think 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,” he said. “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.”
Collet works in the NBA as an international consultant and assistant-style advisor for the Cleveland Cavaliers, joining their staff under head coach Kenny Atkinson, who previously served as Collet’s assistant with the French national team.
Wembanyama’s French Coach Was Sure He Would Become Great
GettyMetropolitan 92’s French power forward Victor Wembanyama (R) speaks with Metropolitan 92’s French head coach Vincent Collet (L) on the bench during the French Elite basketball match between Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 and Bourg-en-Bresse at The AccorHotels Arena in Paris on May 7, 2023. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
Vincent Collet was so sure Wembanyama would become a great player even before he was drafted in the NBA.
“When I coached him before the NBA, he was very young. He was only 18, but I was confident—almost sure—that he would become a great player,” Collet said. “You never know what can happen, especially with injuries, but I believed in him. He is going to keep getting better year after year.”
Wembanyama and Collet share a strong, successful mentor-protege relationship built during their time together at Metropolitans 92 and the French national team.
Collet reportedly trusted Wembanyama, giving him massive on-court responsibilities that accelerated his development into an NBA-ready superstar and a global defensive force.
Wembanyama chose to sign with Metropolitans 92 in 2022 specifically because of Collet’s strong reputation for developing young talent.
“We talk about his special skills, but his mindset is also excellent. He wants to improve and works to become better,” Collet said. “Last week, he was with a rugby team in France to work on his toughness. He is always doing things like that. Everything he can do to improve, he does. I think he will continue to grow as a player. For our national team, he is going to be what Jokic has been for Serbia.”
Victor Wembanyama Gets Upper Hand Against Nikola Jokic