The genius of Nikola Jokic is a basketball IQ combined with human grace that a big buffoon like Shaquille O’Neal cannot even begin to fully comprehend.
So I’m going to explain it to O’Neal like he’s a 5-year-old.
Ever since the childish tantrum O’Neal threw at him on national television during the announcement of his third MVP award, Jokic has been toying with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Shaqtin’ a Fool can’t see how Joker does things on the basketball court Diesel never could.
“His IQ is off the charts,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Tuesday, on a night when Joker seemed sheepish accepting his MV3 trophy in front of an adoring home crowd chanting “M-V-P!” then went out and torched the Timberwolves for 40 points in a resounding 112-97 Denver victory.
“He probably belongs to Mensa. And he probably doesn’t know what Mensa is.”
During the past week, which began with last rites being read to the reigning NBA champs after they fell into a 2-0 grave against Minnesota in a best-of-seven playoff series, Jokic has pulled the Nuggets out of that hole and led three straight victories with excellence that boggles the mind.
With Denver’s season on the line, what has Jokic done at clutch time, under do-or-die pressure during three consecutive games that have saved the Nuggets’ championship aspirations?
Well, the only word I can think of to describe it is: Jordanesque.
While throwing exclamation marks through the heart of Minnesota, with three victories by an average of 17 points per game, the average day at the office for Joker has produced statistics almost too good to be true.
Read ‘em and weep, Mr. O’Neal:
Jokic has averaged 33.0 points (on 60.6% accuracy from the field), 9.3 rebounds and 9.7 assists.
And did we mention Joker has scored 99 points on 66 shots? That’s efficiency that could make the late, great Wilt Chamberlain scream hallelujah from basketball heaven.
For a guy that can’t jump, how high does the ability of Joker soar above the NBA crowd?
“I just laugh. That’s all I can do. I can’t be mad,” said 22-year-old Anthony Edwards, the rising Minnesota superstar who’s nothing less than the next big thing in this league. “He’s the MVP. He’s the best player in the NBA, and he showed it the last three games.”
While O’Neal has been persona non grata in Nuggets Nation for a week, I say every Denver sports fan should send the Big Aristotle a thank-you note.
Although Jokic doesn’t have a vengeful bone in his 6-foot-11 body, he has quietly done a Sombor Shuffle on Shaq’s stupidity since May 8, when O’Neal felt it necessary to spit on Joker’s moment in the sun during an interview on “Inside the NBA” immediately after the winner of this year’s most valuable player award was announced.
Shaq “congratulated” Jokic by telling him that he didn’t deserve to win the award, because Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a better season.
“I want you to hear it from me first,” O’Neal smugly told Jokic. “I thought SGA should’ve been MVP. That’s no disrespect to you …”
For his entire professional career, since being taken 41st overall during a Taco Bell commercial on the night of the 2014 NBA draft, Jokic has smiled and shoved it where the sun doesn’t shine on his doubters.
Coincidence? I think not.
“I’m a freak of nature,” said Jokic, with self-deprecating humor that hides the competitive fire that burns in his soul.
Long after Denver’s big victory in Game 5, after the clock struck midnight and Tuesday had turned to Wednesday, when Jokic plopped down on a chair in the interview room at Ball Arena to indulge the muggles who struggle to comprehend his magic, I posed one question for him.
During the opening round of the playoffs against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, teammate Aaron Gordon declared Jokic was “just a genius who happens to play basketball.”
After Joker dismantled the Timberwolves with 40 points on 22 shots in a Game 5 that tends to predict the series winner with uncanny accuracy, Malone wondered aloud if the Nuggets center even knew what Mensa meant.
So I decided to check with Jokic: “I was wondering. Have you taken an IQ test? Did you take it in Serbia? And how did you do?”
His first response was a snort of disbelief.
“No, I did not,” replied Jokic, denying he’s ever applied for Mensa. “I think it’s funny … Oh my god.”
Never one to leave well enough alone, I persisted: “So you’re not a genius?"
Rubbing his noggin, looking at me as if I was Gru and wondering who gave me a microphone to inquire about such nonsense, Jokic said: “No, I’m not a genius.”
Joker loves basketball and the Denver teammates that rushed the floor to give him a big group hug during the pregame MVP ceremony attended by league commissioner Adam Silver.
But Jokic would rather endure a root canal than talk about his basketball genius. He regards all the hoopla surrounding this NBA life as silly.
Behind the mask of a smile, Joker does not suffer fools that mess with him during interviews.
So you tell me. Who’s worse?
Shaq? Or despicable me?
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