Shaq disrespectfully told Nikola Jokic that he didn’t deserve NBA MVP right after he won it
Shaq was so classless here.
On Wednesday night, Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic officially became the ninth player in NBA history to win at least three MVP awards. He is now part of a very exclusive club with some of the best athletes to ever touch a basketball. It is such a unique achievement that Jokic’s wife, Natalija, narrated a beautiful tribute to her husband to commemorate the momentous occasion.
But not everyone thought Jokic deserved to win this year’s MVP.
That, to be very clear, is completely fine! Everyone has their own opinions and this is just sports, something that is mostly trivial in the grand scheme of things. The concept of “having your own opinion” takes a different tact when you’re telling the athlete to their face that they didn’t deserve their incredible accomplishment … on national television.
This is what Shaquille O’Neal did during the NBA on TNT pregame show while talking directly to Jokic. C’mon, man:
“No disrespect” (Says something disrespectful.)
It’s one thing to share your opinion about the NBA or any sports with your friends and with people who aren’t remotely involved. It’s crossing a major line to tell someone in a happy moment of their career and their life — on national television, no less — that, actually, they shouldn’t have achieved what they achieved. It’s not the time or the place. Kudos to Jokic for taking it in stride and praising other deserving players. He took the high road.
If you want to tell Jokic that someone else deserved it to his face (which still isn’t great!), at least have the decency to tell him in private. Instead, O’Neal made the moment about himself in front of millions of people.
This was a classless move by O’Neal and I can’t imagine Jokic appreciated it in the slightest.
Featured image courtesy of NBA on TNT