"I don't like to rain on people's parade, but I'm not happy with this one" - Shaquille O'Neal opposes Nikola Jokic being named the 2024 MVP
jokic-and-shaq
While Nikola Jokic made history on Wednesday night by securing his third MVP award in four years, becoming the first center in three decades to do so and only the ninth player in league history to win at least three such honors, Shaquille O’Neal voiced his discontent with the selection.
Speaking on NBA on TNT, The Big Aristotle advocated for Shai Gilgeous Alexander, who received a mere 15 first-place votes, to be the rightful winner. He pointed out how the 25-year-old led a young OKC Thunder team to the top of the Western Conference, all while averaging league-high stats in steals and 30.1 points per game.
“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 that had 30 points 50 times, stat stuffer, great season. His team is No. 1. Nobody expected them to be No. 1.”
O’Neal didn’t hesitate to tell his feelings to The Joker
Instead of keeping his thoughts to himself or discussing them with the panel, Shaq shared his views directly with The Joker during their interview. The 52-year-old openly expressed to Jokic that he believed Shai deserved the MVP award over him.
However, unlike some players who might have taken offense, the Serbian center responded with humility.
“We don’t judge people here, so that’s fine. That’s your opinion,” Jokic responded. “I think that there’s a lot of players that deserve it.”
Shai might have a more impactful season than Jokic
While Jokic maintained an impressive near triple-double average of 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game this season, it was less remarkable than his stats from the 2021-22 season when he won his second MVP award.
Meanwhile, the Canadian star showed significant improvement in his numbers, increasing his rebounds from 4.8 to 5.5 and his assists from 5.5 to 6.2 compared to last season. Shai’s performance stands out even more because of his leadership role in leading the OKC Thunder from the 10th seed in the 2022-23 season to the 2nd seed in the 2023-24 season.
Despite Jokic winning his 3rd MVP award in four years, the harsh reality looms over him that his Nuggets are 2-0 down against the Timberwolves. In contrast, Shai has led his Thunder to take a 1-0 lead against the Mavs in their second-round series. While the 2-time All-Star might have missed out on the highest individual award, he could still achieve something even greater this season.