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Shaquille O'Neal Offers Bizarre Answer on Hypothetical Matchup With Nikola Jokic

A lot to unpack here.

Kyle Koster

Shaquille O'Neal in 2001 would be a problem for 2025 Nikola Jokic
Shaquille O'Neal in 2001 would be a problem for 2025 Nikola Jokic / TNT
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Nikola Jokic posted just the third 60-point triple-double in the history of the NBA on Tuesday night. Somehow the performance was not enough to lift his Denver Nuggets to victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves but it was still the thing that every fan of the Association will want to discuss. Inside the NBA was all over it, with Adam Lefkoe teeing up Shaquille O'Neal to talk about what would happen if someone made an operational time machine and set up a matchup between Jokic and prime Shaq.

"Slovien chicken," O'Neal said, probably thinking of Slovenia, where the Serbian Jokic very much does not hail from. "Or wherever he's from."

Eventually Lefkoe informed him of the inaccuracy but Shaq was, at that point, rolling.

"I'm getting 40 and they're going to have to double me. He probably going to pick and pop and take me all that but he probably won't be in the game awhile because after he shoots the 3 I'm going to run right to the middle of the lane ... we'll see."

O'Neal also added that he would amp up the stakes by making Jokic's brothers want to fight him by throwing an elbow on the first play of the game.

Sadly, the technology does not exist for this scenario to become a reality. It would, however, make for a good movie and it's been too long since Shaq had a truly great role. Something to think about.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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