Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic have established themselves as the two best players in the NBA currently. Both players have 2x NBA MVP awards and the Finals MVP award to their name and have often been pitted against each other in the debate about the best player in the league. However, Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t believe the two can be compared. When asked on The Big Podcast which of the two players is higher on his all-time rankings, the Hall of Famer refused to answer, citing they both play different positions.
Advertisement
With Antetokounmpo dominating as a forward and Jokic reinventing the game as a center, O’Neal picked an apt comparison to explain the situation, saying:
“You have the new Shaq versus Tim [Duncan] conversation. You cannot compare the two. Don’t ever compare me to a power forward.”
Shaq makes a valid point with the comparison as when he and Tim Duncan were leading the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs, respectively, in the early 2000s, the two were compared despite the sizeable difference in their playing style. Probably, both players heavily dominating both sides of the court gave birth to the comparisons.
The comparison, however, was not completely valid as the Lakers’ identity was built around O’Neal’s offensive prowess, ensuring their superstar center was in the best position to dominate. On the other hand, Duncan was a vital cog in Greg Popovich‘s system, which relied on players being unselfish and sharing the ball. The only similarity between the two was the success they enjoyed. In the nine NBA Finals between 1999 and 2007, one of the two competed in each championship series. O’Neal made it five times, while Duncan participated in four.
They both retired with an enviable trophy haul. Shaquille O’Neal won the NBA MVP, 3x Finals MVP, and 4x NBA championship. Duncan won the NBA MVP award twice, the Finals MVP thrice, and the NBA title five times.
Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Nikola Jokic: How have they fared head-to-head?
Like O’Neal and Duncan, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic are polar opposites in terms of playing style and the roles they play for their respective teams. While the Bucks superstar dominates in the paint on both ends as the defensive anchor and the primary scoring option, the Nuggets’ center is the team’s de facto point guard, facilitating his teammates and creating space from the perimeter with his shooting prowess.
Despite the differences, when the two superstars go head-to-head, it’s a must-watch event. They have faced off only 13 times in the NBA, and Jokic and the Nuggets lead the head-to-head series 9-4. The Nuggets superstar has averaged 22.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 8.6 assists against Antetokounmpo, while the Bucks superstar has lodged 24 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 5 assists, on average against his counterpart.
Jokic’s best performance against Antetokounmpo and the Nuggets came during the 2020-21 season. The Nuggets superstar scored 37 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished 11 assists in a 128-97 blowout win for Denver in Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo’s best outing against the Nuggets was in March 2018. He recorded a 36-point triple-double in a 134-123 loss.
Jokic has dominated Antetokoumpo head-to-head, but they are on an equal footing as far as their accomplishments are concerned. Perhaps one of the two can take the edge in the head-t0-head debate by leading their team to a second NBA title. Maybe we’ll see the two face off in the 2024 NBA Finals.
