Contrasting opinions and big personalities, it’s not so surprising that Chuck and Shaquille O’Neal often get into heated debates. Amidst the playoffs, it was an inevitable occasion. Both have very different takes when it comes to coaches and their role in the team. It’s the same when it comes to big players like Nikola Jokic. Now, as the Nuggets faced off against the Clippers, the two veterans got into it again. As Shaq took a shot at the Joker, the 76ers legend was quick to come to his rescue.

The 4x NBA Champ praised Jokic’s teammate Jamal Murray’s performance and how he could lead the team. But soon, he criticized Jokic for not playing well despite being the best on the team. “You see the Joker who’s  the best player on the team. Not even playing great but Jamal’s playing great. The others are playing great. When you are one two and you’re one two punch and you know what’s at stake, and you say to yourself, I had a bad first half, you come out and you dominate in the second half,” he declared.

Charles Barkley was quick to chime in, arguing that Jokic had 8 assists. But Shaq seemingly had an issue with Jokic hitting 3 for 9 in the first half. He feels it’s not enough for a center and he swiftly dismissed it. But Chuck was not yet done. “That’s why he is one of the greatest players. You don’t have to score to make an impact on the game,” Chuck noted.

When Chuck countered by highlighting his assists and added that scoring isn’t the only measure of impact, Shaq disagreed, insisting that scoring is crucial regardless of assists. “Yes, you do. Stop it,” Shaq dismissed the argument. As O’Neal pointed out, Murray delivered an awe-striking performance to lead the Nuggets. He scored 43 points to lead the Denver Nuggets gain a 131-115 victory at home against the Los Angeles Clippers.

On the other hand, Jokic had a great game too. He had 13 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds for his third triple-double of the series. This was his 21st career playoff triple-double while the first two triple-doubles in the series came in losses for the team. As said, this banter between Shaq and Chuck are quite common. The one latest this week involved the Nuggets star Jokic again. 

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley discuss over Top 5 center and Nikola Jokic 

With the NBA playoffs in full swing, the NBA on TNT crew got into a conversation about the players from all the generations including them. While speaking of the Top 5 centers in the league’s history, the crew decided on Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell. And for fourth place, the crew placed O’Neal. 

However, the former NBA players had felt some pressure to decide the fifth position. While Shaq seemingly leaned towards adding Jokic to top 5, Chuck disagreed. That was when TNT host Adam Lefkoe suggested Hakeem Olajuwon. Agreeing with Lefkoe, Chuck added, “Nope. Stop it. Knock it off.” 

However, when Shaq asked Chuck about the top 10, the Philadelphia 76ers legend added that Jokic quite easily claims a spot in that. Sir Charles was quick to explain Jokic’s unique talent of playing the game using his brain and called him the most “skilled” basketball player. “He doesn’t overwhelm you,” Chuck added. 

He also drew a comparison between Jokic and ONeal. Jokic’s talent was evident in Game 4 where he hit 36 points and 8 assists playing for 43 minutes and he proved it in Game 5 as well. While O’Neal and Chuck’s debate isn’t ending anytime soon, what is your take on this?