Nikola Jokic On the First Time He Met Shaquille O’Neal: “He Was a Beast Right There But He Cannot Guard Me”

Shaquille O’Neal was the most dominant player that ever played the game. Safe to say, there were not a lot of people who could guard him. Likewise, he was a beast at the defensive end in his prime. Hence, you would have to be extremely good to say that Shaq can’t guard you; as good as the reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic.

Nikola is one of the most unorthodox players this league has ever seen and he is one of the top players today. Jokic is a big man whose vision and game IQ rivals that of the best. He is arguably the best big-man passer the league has ever seen, and he is an extremely good scorer. He averaged 26.8 PGG, 10.8 RPG, and 8.3 APG on 56% shooting from the field. Moreover, his patience, size, footwork, handle, passing, and shooting makes him a nightmare to guard.

Jokic was asked in an interview how Shaq would have fared against him. He casually replied, “You can’t guard me. Wait, Joking… I was in New Orleans and I was getting out to the bus for the World vs USA game… he was in front of me.”

“I had like a mountain in front me.. that man is soo big… When I saw him in person and watched his clips, he was so dominant. I think the most dominant guy to ever play the game. He Was a Beast Right There But He Cannot Guard Me.”

Nikola Jokic and his rise to MVP

Jokic was selected 41st overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2014 NBA draft. However, he didn’t join them until the start of the 2015 season. Jokic had a steady rise for a couple of years before he had a breakthrough year in 2018. He earned his first all-star selection and was named to the All NBA First Team.

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In the 2020 bubble, Jokic led the Nuggets to the Western Conference finals. He led them with two 3-1 comebacks against the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers. However, they couldn’t do it for a third time as they lost to eventual champions, the Los Angeles Lakers. The following season, he took his game to new heights as he led the Nuggets to the third seed in the West.

He was deservedly named the 2021 NBA MVP for his outstanding play. Undoubtedly, Jokic will now look to carry on his brilliant form as the Denver Nuggets contend for the 2022 NBA title.

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