Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic recently opened up about his EuroLeague experience and, in doing so, perhaps unknowingly invited the criticism of two NBA icons.
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Former Sacramento Kings player DeMarcus Cousins joined NBA legend Gilbert Arenas on the Gil’s Arena Show. The two responded to Nikola Jokic, who originally said that he wished “every NBA player would go play six months in Europe, just to see how much pressure there is.”
“Where we’re at right now is the standard for Basketball,” Cousins said. “We made this sh*t cool.” Adding to it, Arenas directly addressed Jokic’s comment about how European teams focus on winning games rather than stats.
“They don’t care about stats, nor did the USA team; that’s how we beat ya’ll a** and France.” Arenas drew sharp attention to the 2024 Olympics. “We didn’t care about the stats; we won the Gold, if that’s what you’re talking about.”
Indeed, the US team beat Serbia in the semi-finals of the 2024 Olympics. They then defeated France to claim the gold medal while Serbia ended the tournament with a bronze.
Additionally, the US has maintained a dominant record in the U17 FIBA Basketball World Cup. July 5, 2026, in Istanbul, the US Men’s team defeated Serbia in the finals, winning the championship for the eighth time in a row.
Arenas’ words cut deeper when he discussed athletes who make it to the EuroLeague. “If you’re talking about EuroLeague, we don’t need to play in the EuroLeague,” he further added. “Our trash, the N** who can’t make these rosters, go over there, and they’re the best players in the EuroLeague. The Americans are the best players in those countries.”
The comments came as a sharp response to Nikola Jokic’s recent statements. During the Denver Nuggets’ media day, the Serbian national team captain was explicitly asked about his experience during the off-season playing for Serbia.
Jokic’s comment highlighted the difference in seasonal lengths for both leagues. The EuroLeague has shorter seasons compared to the usual NBA regular season, which sees each team play 82 games.
This was touched upon by yet another NBA star.
Nikola Jokic’s recent remarks highlight his appreciation for the EuroLeague. It’s true that he received flak from Arenas and Cousins for his comments, but Shaquille O’Neal’s views were different.
O’Neal was recently visiting Lithuania as the brand ambassador of NordVPN. During a press conference, the former Los Angeles Lakers legend discussed his views about the EuroLeague.
“I know the European game is a little bit better than the NBA game,” O’Neal shockingly confessed while in Vilnius. “I know I’m gonna get a lot of flak for saying that, but guys over there, everybody plays hard.”
O’Neal expressed his admiration for the EuroLeague fans who watch the games diligently. In fact, he even stuck around to watch the Zalgiris host Olympiacos, the only second EuroLeague game he has attended in person.
O’Neal also, knowingly or unknowingly, validated what Nikola Jokic said in his media day press conference. “Guys over there, everybody plays hard all 36 games,” he said of the European teams. “We got guys in the NBA, they kind of chill out until the All-Star game or the playoffs or whatever.”
The contrast is sharp. At the end of the regular season, the teams with the best records make it to the NBA playoffs. The regular season is extraordinarily long, and a few match losses may not impact a team’s final standing as much as they would in the EuroLeague.
Therefore, Shaquille O’Neal’s opinion provides fans with the outlook of an NBA veteran who has seen both sides of the sport.