Shaquille O’Neal’s résumé speaks for itself.
But the next time he takes a shot at Nikola Jokić, maybe TNT Sports should hand him a map of Europe first.
This wasn’t Adam Lefkoe’s fault, but Tuesday’s NBA on TNT fell into the usual timeworn debate of comparing past eras. Shaq’s podcast co-host teed him up with a simple question: Who would win: 2001 Shaq or 2025 Nikola Jokić? Without hesitation, O’Neal picked himself, dismissing Jokić as he so often does with big men of today.
2001 Shaq vs 2025 Jokić 🍿
Big Fella thinks it’s Serbian BBQ chicken 💀 pic.twitter.com/OJAVA45JI8
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 1, 2025
But then Shaq tried to get creative. He didn’t know what country Jokić was from, which is a little less nefarious than not even being able to name the coach of the Detroit Pistons.
Still…
“Slavian chicken — wherever he’s from,” O’Neal said.
Lefkoe quickly corrected him: “Slovenian chicken.”
The only problem? Luka Dončić is from Slovenia. Jokić? He’s Serbian.
While both are Slavic countries, we know Shaq didn’t know what country Jokić was from. And while European countries are relatively close to one another, but Slovenia and Serbia are still more than seven hours apart by car.
That’s a long drive — plenty of time for Shaq to study a map.
“He’s Serbian, by the way,” Lefkoe peppered in.
“I’m getting 40, and they’re going to have to double me,” O’Neal said when asked what his stat line would like against Jokić. “He is probably going to pick and pop … but he probably won’t be in the game awhile because after he shoots the 3, I’m running right to the middle lane, and the whole arena gonna yell, ‘Three seconds,’ and we’ll see. And I’m going to hit way more twos than you hit threes — guarantee you that.”
And apparently, Shaq thinks Jokić’s brothers might want to fight him too.
“First play of the game, elbow [to the jaw],” O’Neal quipped.
At least he finally got the tagline right in the end.
“Serbian BBQ chicken.”
Shaq may not have his geography straight, but he’s never lacked confidence. Whether or not Jokić would be “BBQ chicken” is up for debate. But at the very least, he’d know which country he’s cooking in.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.