Shaquille O’Neal shared an Instagram story about Nikola Jokic dominating New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas in the low post. The video in the narrative is titled “Nikola O’Neal,” a reference to Shaq’s unstoppable low-post game, which devoured hundreds of opponents. O’Neal, as usual, posted the video without accompanying words. Meanwhile, officialsportfiesta released the video with the remark, “Who do you choose, Shaq or Joker?”
In the video, Pelicans big man Jonas Valanciunas attempted to guard Jokic in the mid-range area. Using his hefty stature and lower-base power, the Joker repeatedly bumped against Valanciunas’ chest, displacing him. The Nuggets center gets close to the basket by leveraging his shoulders and lower foundation.
Unable to defend against the onslaught, the Pelicans Center flew out of bounds as Jokic dunked easily. This is a typical example of what Shaq refers to as a “bully ball”. Valanciunas, who stands 6’11” and weighs over 250 pounds, was unable to soak up the collision at the post.
The way the 2023 Finals MVP handled the Pelicans Center was reminiscent of a vintage Shaq move. On the other hand, the Joker’s low-posting technique divided admirers on Instagram. One of the users believed Jokic committed an offensive foul. A user said, “I think Jokic totally shouldered him twice…”
Another commenter stated, “That was an offensive foul.” However, for others, Valanciunas failed to sell an aggressive foul call. A person wrote, “Y Jonas flopping though”. Another remark agreed, saying, “The flopping nowadays is mad” followed by a laughing emoji.
Meanwhile, in a humorous turn of events, considering Travis Kelce-Jonas Valanciunas’s lookalike comparison and Kelce’s romance with Taylor Swift, a commenter had a witty response, “Taylor Swift boyfriend became soft” followed by a sobbing emoji.
Shaquille O’Neal acknowledged Joker as the league’s finest center.Prior to the NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat, Diesel named the Joker the “best Center”. This was despite the fact that 76ers center Joel Embiid won MVP after leading the league in scoring for the 2022-23 season. Embiid, however, was unable to lead the 76ers to victory over the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.
On the other hand, Jokic, the eventual Finals MVP, had led a powerful Nuggets run to the NBA Finals, which included a sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers. Shaq praised Jokic for not depending solely on jumpers and for developing a well-crafted post-game to lead the “new wave of Centers” on his ‘The Big Podcast’.
“Joker is the top center. He has transformed the game of basketball, but he plays the way I believe a new wave center should. Five years ago, centers relied solely on jump shots. Shaquille O’Neal stated, “Joker is the best big man, and he’s proven it.”
While Jokic has already joined the elite big men’s club, it will be intriguing to see how his resume compares to Shaq when everything is said and done. To do so, he needs two more Finals MVPs, which means the Nuggets must win at least two more championships. In any case, he has made an unforgettable impression on the league as one of the most effective players ever.