Shaq's Nikola Jokić MVP Rant Sparks Ongoing Feud With Shannon Sharpe, And It Gets Personal
Shaquille O'Neal doesn't think Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokić deserved the NBA MVP award this season. And Shannon Sharpe takes issue with that.
On NBA on TNT Wednesday, Shaq unleashed a jealousy-filled rant, where he complained that Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should have been named MVP after averaging 30.1 points per game and leading the second-youngest roster in the league to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
"I'm not happy with this one," O'Neal said. "Congratulations to Joker, you are the best big man in the league, but based on everybody's criteria, my criteria, stats, stat-stuffer, your guys' criteria, No. 1 seed, which team has the better record, I felt Shai Alexander deserved it.
"I've been No. 2 a lot. I played my ass off, so the fact that he [Gilgeous-Alexander] has to start all over next year and try to win it again."
Sharpe has his own theory on why Shaq took issue with the MVP voting. On his Nightcap podcast with Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson and Gilbert Arenas, Sharpe said that O’Neal — who only won one MVP in his career — should have had five of them with his level of dominance.
"Shaq is never brought up in [GOAT conversations]," Sharpe said. "And I think a part of him is envious of that."
And then he took a shot.
"If Shaq had had my work ethic, he’d have had 40,000 points," Sharpe said.
The Beef Between Shaq & Shannon Sharpe Escalates
Shaq didn't take too kindly to Sharpe's assertion that he didn't work hard enough. So he responded to the former All-Pro tight end with a jab of his own.
In a long rant on Instagram, O'Neal accused Sharpe of "tryna stay relevant by gossiping on your podcast." He also shared a list written by legendary late former Cowboys scout Gil Brandt that listed Sharpe as the 11th best tight end in NFL history — implying that disqualified Sharpe from evaluating his basketball career.
"if you ain’t ranked in the top ten in your profession, then you can’t speak on Me," Shaq wrote. "don’t forget i know what you did to get were you at. me jealous, sounds like you jealous. i kno you tryna stay relevant by gossiping on your podcast. we don’t believe you. you need more people and in case you forgot. 4 rings three finals Mvp top 50 and top 75. google me."
In a response to Shaq's post, Sharpe acknowledged he wasn't the greatest tight end in NFL history — and never claimed to be. And the fact that Shaq was able to accomplish so much in his career despite not being in the best shape or working as hard as he could, Sharpe argued, was a testament to how great he really was.
And in fairness to Sharpe, O'Neal has acknowledged on multiple occasions that he could have worked harder, eaten better and showed up fitter.
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On Friday morning, Sharpe gave a mic drop response: "I've never professed that I was as great as Shaq. But what I will say, I got what I got because I worked my ass off. God gave me the ability to do what I could do. But he gave me discipline. He gave me dedication," Sharpe said.
"My question is, do you believe that you gave everything you possibly could in basketball? Did you train the way you should have? Did you eat the way you should have? He's the most dominant big man in the history of the game. And he got one MVP. Yeah, you got more money. Yeah, you're more famous than me. Yeah, you're more well known. You're gonna have way more money than I ever have. But nobody will ever say that I was lazy or I cheated myself."
We'll see if Shaq claps back or if the two Hall of Famers just leave it at that.