Former Nuggets HC Declares Shaquille O’Neal Is Not Better Than Nikola Jokic

Former Nuggets HC Declares Shaquille O'Neal Is Not Better Than Nikola Jokic

On Tuesday, Nikola Jokic delivered arguably the most memorable performance of his career, as he scored 40 points, dished 13 assists, and grabbed 7 rebounds without committing a single turnover to help the Denver Nuggets take a 3-2 series lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Serbian center became only the second player in NBA history after Chris Paul to score 40 points and provide 10 assists in a playoff game without committing a turnover. The reigning MVP’s historic outing prompted Hall of Fame head coach George Karl to drop a spicy take on X.

Shaquille O’Neal is one of the greatest centers in NBA history and his resume stacks up against the best to suit up and play in the league. However, Jokic is closing the gap in a hurry. The Nuggets superstar has already won two more regular season MVP awards than the four-time NBA champion and a second Finals MVP this season would see him surpass the Los Angeles Lakers icon in total MVP wins. It’d be hard to argue against Karl’s take if Jokic leads the Nuggets to another title.

O’Neal has already crowned Jokic as the best player in the league. But accepting that the Nuggets center is a better player than him or his accolades put him above the Hall of Famer on the all-time list might be a bridge too far.

Shaquille O’Neal goes to war with Shannon Sharpe

The legacy comparison between O’Neal and the Serbian center was amplified after the Hall of Famer told the Denver superstar that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserved the MVP award over him moments after it was announced that he had won the award for a third time.

While Jokic nonchalantly laughed it off, O’Neal received plenty of flak for the timing of his comment. Retired NFL star and ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe even suggested that the Lakers icon was jealous of Jokic’s success.

The 52-year-old wasn’t too pleased with the analyst’s take and called him out on Instagram before dropping a diss track about him. O’Neal showcased that he doesn’t let criticism slide, and it remains to be seen whether he responds to George Karl’s take about Jokic being better than him.

Post Edited By: Sameen Nawathe
Shaquille O'Neal

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Jay Mahesh Lokegaonkar

Jay Lokegaonkar is a basketball journalist who has been following the sports as a fan 2005. He has worked in a slew of roles covering the NBA, including writer, editor, content manager, social media manager, and head of content since 2018. However, his primary passion is writing about the NBA. Especially throwback stories about the league's iconic players and franchises. Revisiting incredible tales and bringing scarcely believable stories to readers are one his main interests as a writer.

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