JaVale McGee has had a slew of doubters throughout his NBA career. Apparently, one of them is his former Denver Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw.

On Instagram, McGee posted a video reflecting how blessed he is in his professional basketball career. He narrated his journey in the NBA before winning the championship with the Golden State Warriors (2017, 2018) and the Los Angeles Lakers (2020), and then now being part of Team USA where he has the chance to win the Olympic gold medal just like his mom, Pamela McGee.

In the comments section of the post, fans and players alike showed their appreciation for the Nuggets big man. However, what stood out the most was Kenneth Faried's revelation on how Shaw treated the center during their time together in Denver.

According to Faried, who was with the Nuggets from 2011 to 2018, Shaw once said that McGee would be out in two years and playing overseas. Shaw served as Denver's head coach from 2013 to 2015.

JaVale McGee certainly deserves a ton of credit for getting through all the adversity and proving that he belongs in the NBA. If the story about Brian Shaw's criticism is true, then all the more it is impressive for McGee to be able to reach where he is today.

While McGee was certainly not the best version of himself when he was young–often criticized for his poor plays and lack of use of his athleticism–he has definitely found his role in the NBA now. Shaw's criticism was harsh and, perhaps, unwarranted. But the Nuggets center proved him wrong.