Shaquille O’Neal drew attention away from Nikola Jokic following the announcement of the NBA’s MVP on Wednesday.
Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets’ star, was declared the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2023-24 season, securing his third MVP title.
He received 79 first-place votes, significantly ahead of the runner-up, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who garnered 15.
During a TNT interview with Jokic on “NBA Tip-Off” right after his MVP win, O’Neal expressed his disagreement with the results. He told Jokic directly, “I want you to hear it from me first. I thought SGA should have won MVP. That’s no disrespect to you.” Jokic responded with a laugh, treating O’Neal’s comment as a personal opinion and mentioning he was just joking.
However, O’Neal faced criticism for his timing and choice of words, with some arguing that he overshadowed Jokic’s moment, while others saw it as just light-hearted banter between the two, who have had a friendly rapport.
It’s worth noting that both Jokic’s Nuggets and Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder ended the season with identical records of 57-25. Although the Thunder clinched the No. 1 seed in the West due to a tiebreaker, Jokic’s statistics were notably superior, with averages of 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game. This has led some to argue that Gilgeous-Alexander’s leadership of a less experienced Thunder team was a key factor in his MVP candidacy.
O’Neal, known for his critical views on modern NBA centers, might not have helped his case with the public perception of his remarks, given his history of critiquing players like Jokic.
