Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic had some playful fun with fellow All-Star San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama in the locker room ahead of Wembanyama's first All-Star game at Oracle Arena on Sunday. As Wembanyama shared that reading a book is a personal pre-game tradition, Jokic's humorous reaction quickly went viral.

In a video posted by the NBA's official X (formerly Twitter) account, Jokic teasingly asked Wembanyama, “You really brought a book?” The 21-year-old French player calmly responded, “Yeah, I read before every game.” Jokic, amused, mocked him with a facepalm and laughed, clearly enjoying the lighthearted moment.

Jokic struggled to contain his laughter as Wembanyama tried to explain the book he brought along.

Victor Wembanyama joins Charles Barkley's team, Chuck's Global Stars, alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Pascal Siakam, Trae Young, and Alperen Sengun.

Wemby during the All-Star Weekend

It’s uncertain whether Wembanyama’s pregame reading is meant to motivate him or simply for leisure. The young star had a hectic weekend, as he was caught up in a Skills Competition controversy. He and Chris Paul was disqualified from the event after failing to take valid shots during the timed portion of the competition.

Wembanyama made his mark during his brief time on the court, delivering a couple of eye-catching moments. One standout play saw the Spurs' young star throw down a smooth left-handed dunk after backing down an undersized Tyler Herro.

Although splitting the All-Star Game into four teams, with the final one being the Rising Stars team, isn’t the worst concept, limiting the score to a modest 40 points is a real letdown for fans. They want to see the NBA’s top players face off, even in an exhibition, and the current format doesn’t do justice to that excitement.

Related Denver Nuggets NewsArticle continues below
Kendrick Perkins with a thought bubble that has Russell Westbrook in it, and next to Westbrook is an equal sign. Next to the equal sign, is a picture of the NBA Hall of Fame
Nuggets’ Russell Westbrook gets insanely high all-time PG ranking from Kendrick Perkins
Nuggets' Michael Malone with NSFW next to Nikola Jokic injury
Nuggets’ Michael Malone calls out ‘bulls**t’ Nikola Jokic injury conspiracies
Nuggets' Nikola Jokic as the con man in Spongebob
Nikola Jokic’s list of injuries gets longer according to Nuggets’ Michael Malone

Wembanyama, in particular, seems hungry to demonstrate his skills on such a prominent stage. Unfortunately, the limitations of this year's All-Star Game format restricted him to only six minutes of action.

Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama head-to-head

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) greets Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) before a game at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Jokic has earned the MVP award three times in the past four seasons. Heading into the All-Star break, he averaged 29.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 10.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, shooting 57.7% from the field and 45.0% from beyond the arc.

On the other hand, Wembanyama is anticipated to be one of the top players of the next decade. The 21-year-old is averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 3.8 blocks per game, shooting 47.6% from the field and 35.2% from three-point range.

Although their off-court bond appears strong, both Jokic and Wembanyama are intense competitors who have delivered exciting matchups for NBA fans this season. In their two games against each other, Jokic and the Nuggets split the contests with San Antonio, with Jokic putting up an impressive 43.5 points per game.

Fans eager for the next showdown between these two teams will have to wait until April 2nd, when the Spurs visit Denver to wrap up their season series.