Kofi Inkoom
Even though Nikola Jokic clinched the 2023-24 MVP title, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal strongly believes that Shai Gilgeous Alexander of the Thunder got snubbed for the award and argues that Shai deserved it more this year.
Sharing his disappointment on TNT (video link), Shaq said, “ I felt [SGA] deserved it… The fact that he has to start all over next year and try to win it again… hopefully he uses this to motivate him to win a championship.”
“I don’t like to rain on people’s parade, but I’m not happy with this one. …I felt Shai deserved it.”@SHAQ reacts to Jokic winning MVP pic.twitter.com/JwtiPOsFyu
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 8, 2024
Also, congratulating Jokic on a live video stream, he made it clear to him that he believes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should have received the award instead of him this year (video link).
“You know I love you. You’re the best player in the league. I want to congratulate you. But I want you to hear it from me first: I thought that SGA should have been the MVP; that’s no disrespect to you.” Shaq added.
Shaq tells Nikola Jokic straight up that he thinks SGA deserved MVP over him 😯 pic.twitter.com/BsSbkQVspm
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 8, 2024
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander secured the second spot in the MVP race, with Luka Doncic trailing in third place. Jokic racked up 926 voting points, while Gilgeous-Alexander amassed 640 voting points, including 15 first-place votes, 40 second-place votes, 40 third-place votes, three fourth-place votes, and one fifth-place vote.
Despite missing out on the award, Gilgeous-Alexander had an outstanding season that elevated him to the ranks of elite players.
In 75 games, he posted impressive stats, averaging 30.1 points on 53.5% shooting, along with 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. His leadership led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the top seed and a remarkable 17-win improvement from the previous season.
This season likely marks the beginning of many seasons where Gilgeous-Alexander will perform at an All-NBA level. At 25, he’s at the peak of his career, and it seems the Thunder consistently have players with MVP potential on their team.