The internet can’t stop watching the heartwarming postgame moment between Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid — and it’s blowing up everywhere.
Embed X: https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/2034133386001060151
While the Philadelphia 76ers fell to the Denver Nuggets 124-96 on Tuesday night in Colorado, the real highlight wasn’t on the scoreboard. Joel Embiid was sidelined with an oblique injury and couldn’t suit up against his longtime rival, but the two MVP big men still delivered the most wholesome scene of the night when they shared a genuine moment of respect after the final buzzer.
The clip, originally posted by Hoop Central and captured via NBA on NBC, shows Jokic and Embiid exchanging words, daps, and pure sportsmanship in the middle of the court. “Nothing but respect ✊🤝” — that’s exactly what fans are calling it, and the video has already gone mega-viral with millions of views in just hours.
Even though Embiid was in the building and had to sit through another round of “you’re never playing here” chants from the Denver crowd, the two superstars reminded everyone why their rivalry has always been special. For years, fans and media tried to pit them against each other during their back-and-forth MVP battles, but this clip proves the respect has always been real.
@HanaHoops summed it up perfectly: “Everyone online has been trying to pit these two against each other for years when they have nothing but respect for each other!”
Other fans flooded the comments with love:
- “Legendary rivalry 🫡”
- “Scenes we love to see, beautiful display of sportsmanship and bromance”
- “The game recognises the game. Beautiful to see both players showing their respects.”
- “I miss the prime Embiid-Jokic days. My favorite opps 😭”
- “Those Biid-Jokic wars on the TL every day from 2020-2024 were magical man.”
The last time these two actually shared the court was back in January 2024 at the Wells Fargo Center. Embiid went nuclear with 41 points (59% shooting), 10 assists, and 7 rebounds to lead the Sixers to a 126-121 win. Jokic finished with 25 points and a game-high 19 rebounds but had just 3 assists in a quieter night.
Before that, in January 2023, Embiid dropped another 40+ point double-double (18 rebounds) in a 126-119 Sixers victory. In their rare head-to-head matchups, Embiid has usually gotten the best of Jokic on the stat sheet.
But when it comes to overall dominance and hardware, Jokic holds the edge. The Serbian superstar has racked up three MVP awards (including beating Embiid for the 2021 honor), led Denver to a championship with Finals MVP honors, and boasts career averages of 22.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists over nearly double the games Embiid has played.
Embiid, 32, has still built a Hall of Fame résumé despite the injury battles: 2023 MVP, two-time scoring champ, seven-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive, and career averages of 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game.
Tuesday’s game was the second and final matchup between the teams this season (Jokic also missed the earlier meeting), so this viral postgame moment is all fans are getting from these two legends in 2026.
The clip is already everywhere — and for good reason. In a league full of trash talk and rivalries, seeing two all-time greats show nothing but love is the kind of moment NBA fans live for. Save it, share it, and rewatch it… because this is sportsmanship at its finest.