Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal responds boldly to what would happen if he faced Nikola Jokic

The MVP race in the NBA is heating up. After recording a career-high 61 points, Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic has made it clear he’s ready to compete for the prestigious award. Following the game, Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal shared his thoughts on what might happen if he had faced Jokic during his prime in 2001.

With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander among the frontrunners for the MVP this season, Jokić is making it a tough battle for the Oklahoma City Thunder guard. Jokic led his team to a strong performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but in a surprising twist, Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves edged out the Nuggets by just one point.

Despite the loss, Jokic’s incredible performance dominated NBA discussions on Tuesday night. Among those weighing in was O’Neal, who responded to a hypothetical scenario of facing Jokic in his prime back in 2001.

“Slovenian chicken, or whatever he is. I’m pretty sure I’d have to be double-teamed. He probably wouldn’t get past me, and if he did, he wouldn’t be staying in the game for long. While he’ll try to shoot the three, I’d be right there to stop it. He’d end up shooting more twos than threes, I guarantee that,” O’Neal said on NBA On TNT.

O’Neal’s “warning” to Jokic in potential matchup

Lakers legend has been vocal about a potential one-on-one showdown with Jokic, even discussing how he would guard the reigning MVP. Known for his massive frame and aggressive mentality, O’Neal shared a warning that might raise a few eyebrows, even among his own brothers.

“I’m going to make his brothers fight me because, on the first play of the game… right with my elbow. I got brothers too, have you seen my brothers? I’ll just make the call, and that’s it,” O’Neal laughed, explaining how he would approach guarding Jokic.

For fans, it’s an intriguing though, seeing the dominant Shaq from his prime go toe-to-toe with Jokic today. The Serbian star may seem unstoppable, but a player like O’Neal could be the key to slowing down one of the MVP frontrunners this season.

Jokic reflects on his 61-point career-high

After dropping a career-high 61 points, Jokic spoke to the media about the historic milestone. True to his understated nature, Jokic shared his thoughts with the humility and style that have become his trademark. He believes that great players are born for moments like this.

“We’re born for this. We’ve been training since we were kids. My opinion is that horses are like athletes; they’re very similar to us. They’re born to run, and we’re born to play,” Jokic remarked.