While Shaquille O’Neal is undeniably proud of Nikola Jokic for being crowned NBA‘s Most Valuable Player, he did not hold back from telling the Nuggets center he was undeserving of the award.
On Wednesday, Jokic secured his third MVP, beating Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Jalen Brunson for the prestigious honor.
During NBA Tip-Off on TNT, O’Neal congratulated his fellow big man. However, Diesel told The Joker that the Oklahoma City star, who finished second in the voting, should have been named MVP.
‘You know I love you, you’re the best player in the league,’ O’Neal told Jokic. ‘I wanna congratulate you, but I want you to hear it from me first.’
‘I thought that SGA should have been the MVP. That’s no disrespect to you. Congratulations.’
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Shaquille O’Neal openly told Nikola Jokic he did not deserve to win the NBA MVP award
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Jokic secured his third MVP trophy, beating Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic
Meanwhile, the Serbian smiled awkwardly before responding to O’Neal’s sentiments with a joke.
‘Thank you, Shaq. We don’t judge people here, you know, so that’s fine,’ Jokic said with a chuckle. ‘For real, there is a lot of players that deserve it.’
‘All good,’ O’Neal responded. ‘I love you, I love your brothers. One thing we’re always gonna do is keep it real with each other.’
Jokic has won three of the last four MVPs after Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid claimed the crown last year. In doing so, The Joker became the ninth player in NBA history to win three MVP trophies.
In his eighth season, Jokic averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and nine assists while shooting 58.3 percent from the field as the Nuggets secured a second-seed finish in the Western Conference.
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O’Neal insisted that the Oklahoma City star, who finished second, should have won the award
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Jokic averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and nine assists while shooting 58.3 percent
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Jokic and the Nuggets currently trail Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves, 0-2
After eliminating the Lakers in a gentleman’s sweep in the opening round, Jokic and the Nuggets find themselves in a 0-2 hole against another MVP candidate in Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves.
While his MVP win warrants a celebration, Jokic stressed the importance of getting his team back on track in the playoffs and avoiding a second-round exit.
‘We had a tough stretch, we lost two games at home against Minnesota,’ Jokic told the TNT crew. ‘Tomorrow we leave. We’re going to Minnesota to try and get the series back to Denver.’
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