Jokic Hit a Fadeaway Over Wembanyama. It Might Be the Shot of the Year.

There's a highlight from tonight's Nuggets-Spurs game that's going to be on every NBA year-end reel. Nikola Jokic caught the ball on the left block, felt Wembanyama's 8-foot wingspan closing in behind him, and did something that shouldn't work against a 7'4" defender with elite timing.

He faded away. Mid-range. Over Wemby's outstretched hand. Nothing but net.

The shot itself was absurd. Jokic is 6'11" and built like a guy who runs a bakery in Serbia. Wembanyama is the most physically imposing defender in the league. And Jokic just... didn't care. He shot over him like he was a training cone.

This is the MVP matchup the NBA has been waiting for. Jokic is averaging 27, 13, and 10 this season — a center averaging a near triple-double. Wembanyama is the defensive player of the year favorite with 15 five-block games. When they share the floor, basketball becomes something different. It becomes art.

The Nuggets won 118-109. Jokic finished with 31 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists. Wembanyama had 24 and 6 blocks. Both players were brilliant. But that one shot — the fadeaway, the degree of difficulty, the defender he did it over — that's the one people will remember.

Jokic doesn't play like a center. He doesn't play like a point guard. He plays like a guy who sees the game differently than everyone else on the floor. Last night, he proved it against the best defender on the planet.