“I thought Nikola Jokic was Russian”: Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal hilariously mistakes Serbian Nuggets star’s nationality, speaks to him in Russian

Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal mistook Serbian Olympic silver medalist and Nuggets MVP candidate Nikola Jokic to be a Russian.

The Denver Nuggets had the Golden State Warriors visit them tonight f0r a matchup. They beat the Warriors 114-104, riding on Nikola Jokic’s triple-double.

The 6’11” Jokic is a wonderful asset for the Denver Nuggets. He has been the face of the franchise for a few years now and has been putting up stellar numbers. This marked the 6th triple-double of the season for the Joker. Stephen Curry put up a fighting 35 points and 11 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Nuggets.

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After a match-winning performance where he scored 23 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and dished 10 assists, Jokic was called by the Inside the NBA cast for a post-match interview. In the interview, he was talked to by the famous Inside the NBA crew – Shaq, Chuck, EJ, and Kenny.

Shaquille O’Neal thought Nikola Jokic was Russian

The 2x NBA All-Star is one of the league’s best centers, and everyone in the league knows about him. Or so we thought. Apparently, some people paid millions to talk NBA basketball seem to forget where their stars are from.

In the post-match interview tonight, Shaq talked in Russian, thinking he was talking in Jokic’s native tongue. The fact is that Nikola Jokic is of Serbian origin.

Shaq really thought Jokic was Russian 😂

(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/Y6fwcOPqTZ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 15, 2021

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The Serbian basketball sensation has been averaging a triple-double this season and has been leading the Denver Nuggets. He has put up 24.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 10.5 assists while shooting over 41% from the deep.

The Denver Nuggets were the surprise factor in the playoffs last season, as they beat two teams, after being down 3-1. They fought their way to the Western Conference Finals where they fell short to the Lakers. The Nuggets would hope to replicate their success this season as well. They currently sit at the 7th spot in the West, with a 6-6 record.