The drama all started with the NBA MVP award announcement.
Shaquille O’Neal strongly believed Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserved the MVP trophy over Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who won his third straight award. Shaq even voiced his opinion directly to Jokic during a televised interview.
Next, ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe took Shaquille O’Neal to task on his podcast. He criticized Shaq for disrespecting Jokic and suggested Shaq might be jealous of a big man like Jokic winning MVP so much. He also questioned Shaq’s place in the “greatest of all time” (GOAT) conversation.
if Shaq woulda had Unc's worth ethic 🤔@ShannonSharpe @ochocinco @GilsArenaShow @ShayShayMedia_ pic.twitter.com/1PeqWlKnCD
— Nightcap (@NightcapShow_) May 9, 2024
Shaq wasn’t having any of it. He took to Instagram for a lengthy response, refuting Sharpe’s claims. He denied jealousy and mentioned advocating for what he felt was right – Gilgeous-Alexander’s impressive season. Shaq also reminded Sharpe of his own accomplishments and questioned Sharpe’s qualifications to judge his career.
Late at night, Sharpe responded to Shaq’s insults. He admitted he wasn’t as good at basketball as Shaq was, but he made the most of his football skills.
