No Jokic, No Shai: NBA Legend Picks the World's Best Basketball Player

Pulse Sports Team 22:47 - 04 June 2026

Tony Parker, the newly appointed coach of ASVEL and a four-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs, has named the best basketball player today. And no, it's neither Nikola Jokic nor Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

According to the legendary Tony Parker, the best basketball player in the world right now is Victor Wembanyama.

The 22-year-old Frenchman, to the surprise of many, led his San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals this season, after a fierce battle with Oklahoma City in the Western Conference.

Whether Parker chose Wemby because he truly believes he's the best, or because Wembanyama revitalized his former club, is for you to decide. Regardless, Parker made no mention of Nikola Jokic or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

What he's doing is incredible. We exchanged a few messages, and I told him he inspires me. He's amazing! For me, he's by far the best player in the NBA. He's very young, and his teammates are young, yet they've reached the Finals. That's a rare occurrence in the NBA. The win against Oklahoma was an extraordinary achievement, but now they have to finish the job.Tony Parker

Wemby has had an incredible season, both individually and as part of the team. In the playoffs, he's averaging 23.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, and 2.7 assists, and is undoubtedly the most instrumental player in the Spurs reaching the Finals against the New York Knicks.