When Nikola Jokic joined Shaquille O’Neal and the NBA on TNT crew to celebrate his third NBA MVP award, he wasn’t anticipating being subtly slighted by arguably the NBA’s most dominant player ever.
Jokic, being the pro he is, shrugged off Shaq’s comments and kept it rolling. But not without the moment getting awkward.
Shaquille O’Neal Ripped After Awkward On-Air Moment With Jokic
“I don’t like to rain on people’s parade, but I’m not happy with this one. Congratulations to the Joker, you’re the best big man in the league but… I felt Shai Alexander deserved it,” O’Neal said. “The fact that he has to start all over next year and try to win it all over again, I know it’s gonna be hurtful for him. I thought Shai Gilgeous Alexander, one of only a few players [who] had 30 points 50 times, stat stuffer, great season. His team is No. 1. Nobody expected them to be No. 1.”
For the past handful of seasons, the NBA MVP race has been as closely contested. Especially as it has ever been with the league transitioning to more dominant foreign-born talent. The last non-international NBA MVP was James Harden in 2018, making it six years for this ongoing renaissance.
Awkward Live TV Moment
As Jokic sat there listening to Shaq rave about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a ton was probably running through his mind. It’s hard to recall another time in history when the winner of the MVP award came on TV to talk about his award and instead be told that he perhaps didn’t deserve the award.
However, Jokic sat through, waited for Shaq to finish, and took it like the champ he is.
“We don’t judge people here, so that’s fine. That’s your opinion, Jokic said. “I think that there’s a lot of players that deserve it.”
Fans, Media Rip The Diesel for His Remarks
Shaq telling Jokic to his face was some insecure, major hater energy.
Pathetic behavior, and big shoutout to Jokic for handling that respectfully. pic.twitter.com/o367yJ6eSM
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 9, 2024
Many were stunned, some were even outraged by Shaq telling the Joker to his face that he shouldn’t have won the MVP award.
Gilgeous-Alexander certainly deserved consideration for this season’s MVP. However, saying Jokic shouldn’t have been MVP is a bit odd; saying that he didn’t deserve it is naive.
While Jokic’s and Gilgeous-Alexander’s numbers stack favorably to each other, Jokic in 2023-24 ranked number one in P.E.R, overall win shares, win shares per 48, offensive and defensive box plus-minus, and value over replacement player. At seven feet tall, Jokic also finished second in the NBA in total assists.
The Joker blew all the advanced metrics out of the water and was top two in nearly all the other categories he wasn’t first in. By all accounts, he deserved his third MVP award.
After winning MVP on Wednesday night, Jokic joined LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and, Larry Bird as the only men in league history with three or more MVPs in their trophy case.
If he isn’t there already, Nikola Jokic is on the doorstep of the top 10 players in NBA history. Furthermore, this is certainly one of the best five-year stretches in NBA history.
