Who is the best NBA player in the world? Lakers teammate snubs Luka Doncic in a candid confession

Luka Doncic has been one of the most popular and standout stars in the league, but he certainly has fierce competition for the ‘best in the world’ tag. In this debate, several name pops up, but the Los Angeles Lakers star and Doncic’s teammate, Jaxson Hayes, believes Nikola Jokic’s astonishing feat over the years easily surpasses most of the NBA stars, if not all.On Thursday night, it gained fresh fuel during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120–113 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Hayes revealed that he would name Jokic as the best player in the world over anyone in the league right now. While speaking with reporters after the game, the Lakers' big man openly praised the Nuggets' superstar.

Lakers star Jaxson Hayes name-drops Nikola Jokic as the best player, surpassing Luka Doncic

Jaxson Hayes experienced the challenge of guarding Nikola Jokic firsthand. The Nuggets center controlled the game with a triple-double performance of 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists, leading Denver to victory.

After the game, Hayes did not hold back when describing what it feels like to defend Jokic.“He’s like 350 pounds. And he has the best footwork I’ve ever seen in my life. You’ve got to use your strength against him; then he’s going to use finesse on you once you use strength against him. I mean, we’ve all seen it over the past few years. He’s the best player in the world right now.”Jokic’s style often surprises defenders. He relies less on speed and vertical athleticism and more on balance, timing, and elite court vision.

The combination makes him one of the toughest matchups in basketball. Hayes battled throughout the night but still witnessed how the Serbian star can dictate a game without forcing shots.Even in defeat, Hayes delivered a solid performance with 19 points, five rebounds, and two assists.

Luka Doncic vs Nikola Jokic? Who is the better NBA player?

The conversation about the league’s top player frequently centers on a small group of superstars. Doncic has certainly been part of that elite tier.

However, Jokic’s résumé gives him a strong argument.Their numbers reveal two different styles. Jokic has averaged 22.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists across 792 career games. Doncic, who reached the 500-game mark earlier, carries a higher scoring average at 29.0 points while contributing 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game, according to sports-reference.comEfficiency also separates them. Jokic shoots 56.1 percent from the field and holds a .598 effective field goal percentage. Doncic posts a .468 field goal percentage with a .543 effective mark. Advanced metrics lean toward Jokic as well, including a 10.6 Box Plus-Minus and an 80.0 Value Over Replacement Player.Accolades further strengthen Jokic’s case. He owns three MVP awards, an NBA championship, and a Finals MVP. Both players share five First Team All-NBA selections, though Jokic holds more total All-NBA honors and All-Star appearances.