The former NBA center shared his all-time greatest big men list, placing the three-time league MVP behind Abdul-Jabbar, O'Neal, Chamberlain, and Russell. Meanwhile, Panathinaikos confirmed they attempted to sign Jokic this summer, but Denver swiftly rejected the offer.
Basketball fans in the United States and Europe are buzzing about Nikola Jokic for two entirely different reasons. While one of the greatest centers in league history, Shaquille O'Neal, releases rankings that anger his fans, on the other side of the Atlantic, Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos openly admits he tried to pull off one of the biggest transfers in basketball history.
The website "SOG Basketball" published its all-time NBA center rankings, and O'Neal shared it on his social media. The Serbian star of the Denver Nuggets landed in fifth place, which immediately sparked heated reactions.
At the top of the list is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with six NBA titles and six regular-season MVP awards. Right behind him is Shaquille O'Neal himself, who over 19 seasons won four championships, was named Finals MVP three times, and appeared in 15 All-Star games. Third is Wilt Chamberlain, fourth is Bill Russell with 11 championship rings, and only then comes Jokic.
The full ranking looks like this: Abdul-Jabbar, O'Neal, Chamberlain, Russell, Jokic, Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone, David Robinson, George Mikan, and Dwight Howard.
Almost simultaneously, the story of Panathinaikos' ambitious attempt to bring in the three-time MVP went public. Giannakopoulos revealed the details of the negotiations that took place this summer on the show "Euro Insiders."
"People will say, 'Okay, now he's joking.' I made a very serious offer this year, both to his team and to him. I got a rejection. I know he has one more year on his contract," said Giannakopoulos.
The reaction from Denver was, according to him, lightning fast. "It took them a few seconds to say: 'Who? Greece? Where? What? Bye.' But let's wait for next year."
The story gained weight when Jokic's agent, Misko Raznatovic, confirmed that Panathinaikos had indeed sent a concrete offer. The news was immediately picked up by major American media outlets. ESPN reported that the offer was "serious" and that Giannakopoulos is already planning another attempt in 2027. Yahoo Sports emphasized that the Nuggets rejected the attempt to buy out the final year of the contract, while Bleacher Report described the whole situation as an attempt to "crash" the NBA.
Reuters reported that both Jokic's team and Denver quickly rejected the offer, and the story received special attention in local Colorado media.
Jokic is under contract with the Nuggets through the 2027/28 season, with a player option for the final year. According to ESPN, if he becomes a free agent, he could sign a five-year extension worth around $359.5 million.
Giannakopoulos, however, is not giving up. "If I don't bring Jokic, I'm not going anywhere," the Panathinaikos owner said. He was even more direct in announcing his plan: "I'll bring him next year. This is Jokic, the best player in the world."
Although the first attempt failed, the Greek billionaire has already made it clear that he will launch a new offensive next summer to land one of the biggest stars in today's NBA.
