Serbia is a small country in Eastern Europe. The former core republic of Yugoslavia may only have a population of 6,000,000 people, but it is home to two of the greatest athletes in the world of sports – Novak Djokovic and Nikola Jokic. Shaquille O’Neal seems to be amazed at how a country with a population as low as Serbia’s has the best tennis and basketball payer in the world. Further, the TNT analyst is beyond amazed at the fact that both the megastars are nicknamed “Joker”.
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O’Neal is known for harsh criticism directed at the current pool of players. Over the years, we have seen the Los Angeles Lakers legend rip apart Rudy Gobert, Dwight Howard, and many others, for numerous reasons. However, ever since the Denver Nuggets won the 2023 Championship, the Big Aristotle has been constantly praising Nikola Jokic. For someone who is as hard to please as Shaq, it is a big achievement for Jokic to be welcomed by the icon into the “big man alliance” alongside some of the greatest Centers ever.
Shaquille O’Neal is amazed at how both – Nikola Jokic and Novak Djokovic – are from Serbia
Nikola Jokic and Novak Djokovic are two of the biggest names in their respective fields. While Jokic is the reigning Finals MVP and one of the best Centers in NBA history, Djokovic is widely regarded as the tennis GOAT with the most number of Grand Slams among his competitors. Just like many others, even Shaquille O’Neal was left astonished when he found that both the legends are from Serbia and share the same nickname – “Joker”.
Shaq shared this same graphic to his Instagram Stories.
Both of the Jokers have had an incredibly successful 2023. Nikola went on to win the Nuggets their first Championship in franchise history. After lodging 30.2 points, 14 rebounds, and 7.2 assists, the 6ft 11″ big man won the Finals MVP honor. Whereas, Djoko has been simply sensational. Having won three out of four Grand Slams – Australian Open, French Open, and US Open – this year, the 36-year-old has regained the World No. 1 ranking.
Shaq believes a prime Dwight Howard could stop Jokic
Shaq has been showering Jokic with some high praises all summer long. However, O’Neal does believe in the notion that a prime Dwight Howard will be a problem for a prime Jokic to handle.
Even though Howard has been dishing out several illogical takes, this might actually be true. A few years ago, during the Lakers-Nuggets clash in the Western Conference Finals, Howard limited Jokic to 21.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5 assists. Further, during his prime, Howard was one of the best defenders in the world, swatting away any attempts taken in the paint.
