NBA MVP: Shaquille O'Neal says Nikola Jokic didn't deserve to win elusive award

Basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal believes that Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic didn’t deserve to win the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the 2023-24 season.

Jokic was named the winner of the elusive award for the third time in his career on Wednesday.

However, Shaq stated that Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should have won the award instead of Jokic.

"You know I love you. You're the best player in the league. I want to congratulate you. But I want you to hear it from me first; I thought that SGA should have been the MVP; that's no disrespect to you,” Shaq stated while directly addressing Jokic during the latest episode of TNT's show ‘Inside The NBA’.

"We don't judge people here, that's fine it's your opinion," Jokic responded.

Shaq faced some backlash for the aforementioned comment but he did go on to praise Jokic as "the best big man in the league by far".

Jokic previously earned the honor in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

"It's got to start with the teammates; without them, I cannot do nothing," Jokic said after being named MVP. "Coaches, players, organization, medical staff, strength coaches, development coaches. It is all one big circle. But I cannot be whatever I am without them."

"There's a lot of players that deserve it," Jokic said of the MVP race. "It's probably details and the small things [that determine it]."

The Serbian is the ninth player to win three or more MVPs, alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Michael Jordan (five), Bill Russell (five), Wilt Chamberlain (four), LeBron James (four), Larry Bird (three), Magic Johnson (three) and Moses Malone (three).

“In the 2023-24 regular season, Jokić ranked 10th in the NBA in points, fourth in rebounds and third in assists per game. He became the second player in NBA history to have at least 2,000 points, 900 rebounds and 700 assists in a season, joining Oscar Robertson (1961-62),” NBA said on its official website.