As Nikola Jokic spoke his first words after being announced as the 2024 MVP, Shaquille O’Neal stole the show with a wild admission live on the air. With Jokic giving his full attention, O’Neal told him that he would have voted for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the MVP and that he deserved the award more than the Nuggets superstar.
“You know I love you. You’re the best player in the league. I want to congratulate you,” said Shaq. “But I want you to hear it from me first; I thought that [Shai] should have been the MVP, that’s no disrespect to you.”
Shaquille O'Neal tells his "vice president of the Big Man Alliance" Nikola Jokic that he did not think The Joker should win his 3rd MVP this year pic.twitter.com/f5jAciL5Th
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 8, 2024
Jokic did fire back a little with a quick retort, but he otherwise seemed unbothered by the comment, which is fitting for his MO as a natural and reserved superstar.
“Thank you Shaq, we don’t judge people here so that’s fine, it’s your opinion,” said Jokic with a laugh.
You have to credit Shaq for his honesty here, and Nikola handled it pretty well, considering he was put on the spot on national television. O’Neal probably had an innocent intent, but the statement came off as abrasive and rude to many fans who felt that he crossed the line.
While the court of public opinion has been harsh on Shaq tonight, it should be noted that he has this treatment with every modern player. As he’s stated before, his way of spreading the love is to push you as a player and he’s never going to mince words about what he sees on the court.
Of course, since O’Neal doesn’t have an MVP vote, his opinion did not get factored into this year’s debate. Of course, O’Neal is not the only one to feel that Shai deserved MVP, but he clearly falls into the minority given how overwhelming the support was for Jokic in the polls.
Nikola Jokic’s Legacy Is On The Line
As an NBA champion, 3x MVP, 6x All-Star, and 5x All-NBA player, Nikola Jokic is already on track to be one of the greatest players ever. At 29 years old, he’s arguably got the best resume in the league of anyone not named LeBron James or Stephen Curry.
Regarding this year’s MVP race, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a solid case to win, and he’s following up on his performance with a dominant post-season. Jokic managed to win over the voters with his sheer impact and efficiency on the court and now he’s among elite company as a 3x MVP winner.
But even after all he’s done, The Joker’s legacy could take a dark turn if the Nuggets lose in 4 or 5 to the Timberwolves. After losing Game 2 in epic fashion on Monday, Jokic looked completely lost and defeated with no answers on how to turn the tide.
If they lose now, like this, the haters and doubters will come out in full force and Jokic’s place as the best in the league will be challenged like never before. How he responds this upcoming summer will determine a lot about how his career is remembered and it could make or break his all-time legacy.
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