May 26, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Shaquille O'Neal before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves in game three of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal Sends 2-Word Message To Nikola Jokic

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Jason Fray | Last updated Aug 24, 2025 7:00 PM ET

If there's one player throughout the history of the NBA with the best chance at providing a viral soundbyte, it's none other than Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal.

Aside from being supremely charismatic and utterly hilarious, O'Neal has a terrific pulse on the game of basketball, the corresponding players, and how it's played in the current era. It makes complete sense given that O'Neal is one of the best centers objectively to ever play the game. Some can make the argument that O'Neal's apex prime coincided with the most dominant player ever.

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In this case, the topic of Nikola Jokic came up.

There's no debate in saying Jokic holds the mantle as the top player in the world today. He happens to play the same position as O'Neal, and when asked what O'Neal in his prime would do versus Jokic, Big Diesel offered up a fun catchphrase he helped to coin — with a slight alteration.

Shaq was asked what would happen if the 2001 version of himself faced 2025 Nikola Jokic:

“Slavian Chicken.” pic.twitter.com/UtRtwJXxm1
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 22, 2025

O'Neal has a way with words — and has dating back to when he broke into the NBA with the Orlando Magic. The term 'barbecue chicken' is something he's popularized to essentially call an opposing big man soft.

If given this title, O'Neal is basically saying he'd eat you alive for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if he played in today's era. No big man wants to earn this moniker particularly with O'Neal breaking down games week after week on live television.

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Throwing a bit of a twist on this version paying homage to Jokic's ethnic background is rather comical in nature. But, it also begs a larger question both hypothetical in nature and virtually impossible to answer: How would the two elite big men fare versus one another if both were in their respective primes?

O'Neal vs Jokic

O'Neal's physical advantage is undeniable. Jokic isn't what anyone would call an elite defensive player (even with high basketball I.Q. and great hands). In this situation, even with Jokic being a decent positional defender, O'Neal's short-area quickness, athletic advantage, and sheer power advantage would make him extremely tough for Jokic to stop.

On the other end of the floor, Jokic's skill would be something O'Neal has never seen before. Between the pump fakes, moves off the dribble, passing ability, floor spacing, and feel on the offensive end of the court, O'Neal would equally have a very tough time trying to stop Jokic (or at the very least stay out of foul trouble).

While we'll never know the real answer to this would-be battle, it sure would be fun to watch.