Watch: Nikola Jokic loses it on Shaquille O’Neal after he mistakenly speaks Russian to him instead of Serbian
Reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic recorded his sixth triple-double of the season in the Denver Nuggets' 105-91 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Nuggets (19-11) are now first in the Western Conference. "The Joker" was interviewed by the TNT crew after the game, including an interesting conversation with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.
O’Neal first asked Jokic if he ever envisioned himself dominating the league by getting triple-doubles and winning MVPs when he was growing up in Serbia. Jokic said he did not because O’Neal was in the league at the time. O’Neal seemingly appreciated the compliment and tried to say something back to Jokic in Serbian. However, Jokic quickly and humorously yelled at O’Neal that he was instead speaking Russian.
Nikola Jokic yelled at Shaq for speaking Russian to him 😂
#NBATwitter https://t.co/ILxXn2c9qT
All in all, it was just some light-hearted fun between the two big men. However, it’s worth noting that Shaquille O’Neal, who is known to be a harsh critic of modern-day bigs, continues to show love to Nikola Jokic.
Can Nikola Jokic win his third straight MVP?
Before the season started, many assumed it would be impossible for Nikola Jokic to win his third straight MVP. The last player to do so was legend Larry Bird, who won the MVP award in 1984, 1985 and 1986. The only other players to win three straight MVPs are Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, who achieved this in the 1960s.
However, Denver is now sitting first in the Western Conference and just three games behind Milwaukee for the best record in the league. Meanwhile, Jokic is playing as well as ever lately. Jokic finished with an effortless 13 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists against Memphis.
This came after he had his historic 40-point, 27-rebound, 10-assist triple-double on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets. In doing so, Jokic joined Chamberlain as the only other player to put up those stats in a single game in NBA history.
In his last six games, Jokic has averaged 30.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, 10.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.0 block per game on 58.5% shooting. For the season he is averaging 24.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. He is also shooting a career-best 61.7% from the field.
So simply put, Jokic is making it increasingly harder for fans and analysts to argue against him winning his third straight MVP.
Also read: Kia NBA MVP Race: Latest MVP ladder and power rankings feat. Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic and more | Dec. 16, 2022-23 NBA Season