Shaquille O'Neal on Nikola Jokic NBA MVP: Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should have won

Shaquille O'Neal disagrees with the results of the NBA's Most Valuable Player voting.

The four-time NBA champion and one-time MVP voiced his displeasure with Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic — who won it for the third time in his career — taking home the honor Wednesday on TNT's "Inside the NBA," saying Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should have won it.

"He's (Jokic) the best big man in the league, but based on everybody's criteria, my criteria, stats, stats stuffer, you guys' criteria, No. 1 seed, which team has a better record, I felt Shai Alexander deserved it," O'Neal said. "I've been No. 2 a lot and I played my ass off No. 2, so the fact that he has to start all over next year and try to win it again. ... I know it's going to be hurtful for him. Hopefully he uses this to motivate him to win a championship."

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O'Neal's main point is based on the season Gilgeous-Alexander has put together, one in which he has guided OKC to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Gilgeous-Alexander, who lost by 286 votes to Jokic in MVP voting (including a 64 first-place vote differential), is averaging 30.1 points (third best in the NBA), 6.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 53.5% from the field.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who earned his second straight All-Star nod this season, is averaging 27.6 points in five games these playoffs for the Thunder. He posted 29 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field in the Thunder's second-round opening win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.

"(He's) one of only a few players that had 30 points, 50 times, stat stuffer, great season. His team is No. 1, (when) nobody expected them to be No. 1. I thought Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was going to win it by far. But, congratulations to Joker. I'm happy for him. ... But me personally, I would've given it to Shai."

Shortly after learning word that he became the ninth player in NBA history to win three or more MVP awards, Jokic joined the "Inside the NBA" crew. And though O'Neal, who won the MVP award in 2000, congratulated Jokic by naming him "vice president of the Big Man Alliance," he did not change his stance on Gilgeous-Alexander as his pick.

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"Joker, as the president of the Big Man Alliance, you are the vice president of the Big Man Alliance. You know that I love you and that you are the best big man in the league. I want to congratulate you but I want you to hear it from me first that I thought SGA should have been the MVP," O'Neal said. "That is no disrespect to you but congratulations."

Responded Joker:

"Thank you, Shaq. We don't judge people here. That's fine, that is your opinion," Jokic said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shaquille O'Neal on NBA MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 'deserved it'