NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal delivered a personal tribute to Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic after the 28-year-old center broke an NBA finals record.
Jokic surpassed the legendary Bill Russell to set a new finals record for assists as a center, scoring 14 assists on his NBA Finals debut against the Miami Heat. Jokic and the Nuggets cruised to victory in Game One, beating Miami 104-93, and the Serbian also scored a triple-double with 27 points and 10 rebounds to go alongside his record-breaking 14 assists.
Alongside breaking a record, Jokic has also extended one of his own, scoring his ninth triple-double in the postseason. And Jokic's seemingly unstoppable form has drawn praise from legendary NBA center, O'Neal. Speaking to Jokic after the game on NBA TV, O'Neal welcomed the Nuggets star into the "Big Man Alliance".
Shaq said: "One last thing, I don't give a lot of props to a lot of big guys but I give you all the props in the world, brother. Very, very, very impressive to watch. I give it up to you."
O'Neal's praise of The Joker didn't stop there. In fact, the four-time NBA champion says he's "happy" to have seen the basketball player live. "Joker, what can you say about him?' O'Neal said. "Very impressive passing, scoring, leadership, and he's a true definition of letting the game come to you.
"Charles and myself, and Grant, sometimes, we would go get it. But, you know, the first five, six minutes, he probably didn't even take a shot. ... Most guys, especially the number one option, they're going to get it [and think] 'I want to score, but you know what? I'm going to look for my teammates. I'm going to create opportunities for them.'
"And he's a true definition of a great player. Not only does he make himself look good, makes everybody else look good. And I don't know if he's a pass first or a shoot first big man, but he definitely plays the game the right way.
"He was super impressive to watch. This is the new age era of a big man. He can go inside, he can [go] outside, he can pass, he can start the break. But again, if you're a smaller defender, your teammates are going against a smaller defender, he's not going to let you get away that. He's going to make the right play every time. ... This guy is super impressive as a big man, and I'm happy I got to see him live."
The Nuggets will host Miami again on Sunday for Game Two at the Ball Arena. It will then be Miami's turn to play host next Wednesday and Friday and Game Four could see the Nuggets sweep the series should they find themselves 3-0 after three games, as they did against the Los Angeles Lakers.
