Shaq had 1 notable omission from his All-NBA First Team
One NBA star isn’t getting any love this year from the genie from “Kazaam.”
Retired basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal shared his picks this week for First Team All-NBA, as did some of his TNT co-hosts. O’Neal chose Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Ja Morant, and Devin Booker. Those picks were almost identical to those of the rest of the crew (comprised of Dwyane Wade, Jamal Crawford and Adam Lefkoe).
There was one notable omission from O’Neal’s list though — O’Neal declined to pick Luka Doncic, who made the cut for all the other TNT hosts. O’Neal gave Doncic’s spot to Morant instead.
It is worth noting that neither O’Neal nor any of his co-hosts have an actual vote for the All-NBA teams. Instead, these were just their personal picks.
None of the TNT hosts selected Nikola Jokic for First Team All-NBA either. But that is a defensible omission since most voters will face the dilemma this year of picking Jokic or Embiid at center, which is essentially a toss-up right now. O’Neal’s omission of Doncic, who is averaging a robust 28-9-9 line this season, is a bit stranger however. Granted, this wouldn’t exactly be the first time that O’Neal has gone galaxy brain mode with a pick like this.
Photo: Mar 10, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; NBA former player Shaquille O’Neal watches a game between the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors in the third quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 105-99. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports