The last season was nothing short of a dream for Nikola Jokic. The 28-year-old made his mark in the best way possible and ended up giving his team their first NBA championship. So with him being in such phenomenal form, comparisons are bound to happen. Recently, he was compared with the NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.

There are several reasons why one would think of comparing the two. They’re both supremely talented athletes who can single-handedly change the fate of the game. During a recent podcast, an NBA veteran didn’t hesitate in giving the edge to the 4x NBA champion over the defending champion for one obvious reason.

What makes Shaquille O’Neal better than Nikola Jokic?

Jokic is fairly young in the league, so it would be unfair if we put their achievements to the test. However, as per a 41-year-old NBA veteran, there is something that the two have in common, but the LA Lakers legend was more lethal with it. The two aforementioned players are counted among the big men of the league. While Shaq stands at 7’1, Jokic is 6’11 and it is a given that the tallest of any team can go out and dominate at their will.

However, Gilbert Arenas believes that despite being 6’11, the Denver Nuggets star can’t match up to Shaq’s dominance. During a recent episode of Gil’s Arena, the NBA veteran said “You have to give it to the dude that they had to change rules for.” He was discussing the fact that Shaq used his build so well in the league, that at one point the games became unfair for the other team. As per Arenas, Jokic can’t instill that same fear in his opponents and still has a lot to work on.

While it is a fair claim to make, to pick Shaq over Jokic, let’s have a look at their achievements.

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Shaquille O’Neal v. Nikola Jokic

Coincidentally, both the athletes won their first NBA ring at the age of 28. On Shaq’s birthday, he scored 61 points against the Los Angeles Clippers and won the championship the same year. The Big Man also won his first league MVP and NBA Finals MVP the same year. However, if we compare the stats with Jokic’s, the Nuggets star has an edge over the Diesel, at age 28.

Jokic has won an NBA championship, Finals MVP and has won two league MVP awards in 2021 and 2022. Even though the argument involving these two tilts toward Shaq, if Jokic continues to dominate the league for a few more years, we might see legitimate competition for our favorite Big Man.

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