San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward/center Victor Wembanyama (1) dribbles against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama are two of the very best basketball players in the world, but that’s not the only sport they’re passionate about. Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama both like chess, so with the former currently in Paris, France, for the Esports World Cup, Complex asked him when we’ll see them face off across the board.
“I would love to, actually,” Antetokounmpo said. “You know, maybe after this, I’m going to reach out to him. No, I’m not going to call him out. I actually like him. Victor, I heard that you play chess. I think I saw like clips online. Maybe if there’s opportunity in the offseason and maybe during the season, if you want, I would like to play against you. And we’ll see what happens. I don’t know. We’ll see what happens.”
There are indeed plenty of clips online of Wembanyama playing chess. The San Antonio Spurs superstar even played against fans at Washington Square Park in New York City back in 2024. He might not be doing that ever again, though, considering how his popularity in New York has nosedived following the NBA Finals.
Now, while Wembanyama’s love for chess is well known, that’s not the case with Antetokounmpo. According to ESPN, the new Miami Heat superstar actually learned the game at a Church in Greece when he was 10 years old. He claims to be pretty good at it, and it would be interesting to see who wins between them.
As for a 1-on-1 battle on the basketball court, Antetokounmpo was asked who’d win between him and Wembanyama on content creator Neon’s stream in July.
“Me,” Antetokounmpo said, via Heat Central. “All day. All day.”
Well, Wembanyama has called Antetokounpo the toughest player to guard in the NBA. The Frenchman is the best defender in the league by a mile, but admitted the only way to slow him down is by creating a wall.
Wembanyama also said back in December 2025 that it is between Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the title of best player in the NBA. The 22-year-old did add that he’d be the best once he returns from injury, but it is clear he has a lot of respect for the Greek.
Antetokounmpo deserves it, too. The 10-time All-Star has been one of the very best players in the NBA for years now and averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2025-26. The fact that this was considered a down year speaks to his greatness.
Antetokounmpo was then on the move this summer, with the Bucks trading him and Bobby Portis to the Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, Nate Ament (No. 13 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft), two first-round picks, one pick swap, and one second-round pick. The 31-year-old is backing himself to dominate with his new team.
Wembanyama should be pretty dominant with the Spurs as well. The two-time All-Star averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.1 blocks per game in 2025-26. Wembanyama became the first-ever unanimous DPOY winner in 2026 and led the Spurs to the NBA Finals. They were the favorites going in, but lost to the New York Knicks in five games.
Expect Wembanyama to be a man on a mission next season, and Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady believes he’ll win every major individual award and the championship. This not being an outlandish prediction speaks to just how special he is.