Nikola Jokic vs Shaquille O’Neal: ESPN Analyst Erupts With Shocking Claim

The Denver Nuggets have completely dominated the NBA for the last two seasons. Few teams in the league can go toe to toe with the Nuggets right now. While players like Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordan, and Michael Porter Jr. have excelled, the Nuggets are built around the remarkable abilities of Nikola Jokić. It is Jokic’s brilliance that has sustained Denver’s stronghold on the NBA in recent seasons.

Nikola Jokić led the Nuggets to their first-ever title in franchise history last season. In the process, Jokic put up some historic statistics. He became the first NBA player to lead the playoffs in points, assists, and rebounds. Across 20 playoff games, he tallied 600 points, 269 rebounds, and 190 assists. Performances of this caliber have firmly established him as the premier player in today’s NBA, earning comparisons with NBA icons like Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon.

However, ESPN analyst Chris “Mad Dog” Russo has recently stated that Jokic is better than Shaq. During a conversation on First Take, Chris said, “Jokic might be, at the end of the day, the greatest center in the history of the NBA. He’s better than Shaq, I’ll tell you that right now. Not just Shaq, he’s better than Malone and Olajuwon.”

Chris Russo’s remarks have angered a lot of fans, especially those who witnessed Shaq and Hakeem’s brilliance live. Although Jokic is currently the best player in the league and is on course to win his third MVP award, suggesting that he surpasses the greatness of Shaq and Hakeem is just ignorant. Such a statement reflects recency bias on Russo’s part. So, how do Nikola Jokić’s stats compare to Shaq’s?

Nikola Jokić vs Shaq: Statistical comparison

Shaq enjoyed a very successful 19-season NBA career in which he won four NBA championships, along with one MVP award. During his illustrious career, Shaq averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Meanwhile, Jokic has averaged 20.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 9 seasons. Furthermore, Nikola Jokić has won 1 NBA championship and 2 MVP awards.

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While Jokic’s statistics are impressive, particularly in terms of assists, Shaq’s dominance in scoring and rebounding cannot be overlooked. Additionally, their roles and impact on the game were different, with Shaq known for his dominant presence in the paint and Jokic praised for his versatile skill set and playmaking ability as a center. With both being dominant in their own unique ways, it’s almost impossible to compare Jokic and Shaq to each other. What are your thoughts? Who’s better? Let us know in the comments.