“Slovenian chicken… I’m getting 40, and they’re gonna have to double me.” Shaquille O’Neal’s bold claim against Nikola Jokic spread like wildfire, and we have almost the entire NBA community discussing the possibilities. While there are stars who have unwavering faith in Big Diesel, there are some aspects where Jokic could have one up on O’Neal. The conversation on Gil’s Arenas started with Josiah Johnson raising the question: Is the big diesel spitting or tripping, saying 2001 Shaq will barbecue 2025 Jokic?
Rashad McCants wasted no time shutting it down. “How many drop-step tomahawk dunks have you seen Joker do? How many backboards has Joker broken? Rims had to be replaced… We gotta take 45 minutes to replace this whole goal. Thanks, Shaquille.” McCants made it clear: Prime Shaq was a different beast.
Then came Kenyon Martin, who had the perfect response when asked if he ever had to guard the ex-Los Angeles Lakers star: “What am I gonna do… Gonna dunk me and the ball…” That right there sums up the fear Shaquille O’Neal put into defenders. His physical dominance was so overwhelming that the best strategy against him? Foul and pray he missed free throws.
Martin drove the point home by reminding everyone just how helpless even the strongest bigs were against Shaq. “David Robinson, one of the strongest individuals in the NBA, and Shaq gave this goddamn man fits. Some of the bigs that got jobs… Shaq should have filed these motherfuckers on his taxes… As dependents… They got in the NBA specifically because of Shaquille O’Neal.” In other words, Big Diesel didn’t just dominate his opponents—he changed the way teams built their rosters.
Credits: Imago
So, where does Jokic fit into all this? McCants doesn’t see him standing a chance physically. “The only dude that could probably bang him would be Embiid… And they match up never.” It’s a fair point—Jokic has never had to deal with someone built like Shaquille O’Neal in today’s NBA.
But here’s the thing—basketball isn’t what it used to be. The game is faster, more perimeter-focused, and far less physical. However, that doesn’t erase how unstoppable Big Diesel was in his era. Martin put it best: “You don’t want him to hook. Dunk this motherfucker every play. That shit demoralizing.”
Some rock solid points for sure, but it’s not as if there is no support for Nikola Jokic from the former NBA stars. Nikola Jokic vs Shaquille O’Neal became a hot topic on Run It Back, too, when ex-Raptor Lou Williams and former Maverick Chandler Parsons appeared on the show. Parson’s take? A bold one for sure. “Jokic would cook him, too…,” he said. He, however, has his reasons to believe that Big Diesel might be outclassed by the Serbian basketball star
Parson’s argument in Nikola Jokic’s favor over Shaquille O’Neal
The former Dallas Mavericks star pointed out that there are some limitations to Shaquille O’Neal’s game offensively. Well, we all know it: his shooting and free throws. “You can’t do that for Jokic because he’s just going to make him at 80-85 percent of the time and score… There’s a game plan for Shaq at least. And that’s foul. There ain’t a game plan for Jokic,” Chandler said.
If you’ve ever heard of Hack-a-Shaq, you know exactly what Parsons is getting at. The strategy of intentionally fouling poor free-throw shooters? That was practically designed for the ex-Laker. Still, Parsons wasn’t handing Jokic the easy win.
“I think they both have 40,” he said, and Williams agreed. “They’re dominant in their own rights,” Williams added, pointing out that in 2001, nobody could stop Shaq, just like Jokic is unstoppable today. Well, there is no denying that there are some concrete arguments in both players’ favor.
However, when you consider the fact that the prime Shaquille O’Neal could never truly be contained just because of his shooting limitations, you’d realise what McCants and Martin had to say in Shaq’s favor outweighs Parsons’ listed setback for Big Diesel. In either case, the opinions are clearly divided in this hot debate.
The post NBA Legends Divided as Shaquille O’Neal vs Nikola Jokic Debate Intensifies: “… Would Cook Him” appeared first on EssentiallySports.
