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Shaq had four championships includig three in a row with the Lakers. He was also the NBA in each of the finals with the Lakers. Olajuwon only had two. Shaq scored more points, and average more points per game. Olajuwon had slightly better rebounding numbers. Currently Shaq is the all time leader in field goal percentage. We won't even go into his All-Star game appearances and MVP awards in those games. Also Shaq averaged over 25 points a game for 10 seasons, compared to five for Olajuwon.
Considering the number of championship and his role on those championship along with is career long dominance in the paint Shaq ranks ahead of Olajuwon in terms of impact in the league.
Beat me to it, but I'll add that Shaq not only won 4 NBA titles (and 3 NBA Finals MVP awards) but he also appeared in the NBA Finals two other times (and appeared in the Finals with 3 different teams).
Shaq was of course big, strong, and dominant, but so what? His shot selection was as limited as that of very limited Dwight Howard. In fact, Shaq just a wider Howard. Great dunks and imposing presence. He was a decent passer, but no Chris Webber. Lousy free throw shooter. No outside shot from any range. Hakeem a far more versatile center and one I'd pick overwhelmingly over Shaq.
Can you name 3 things that made him a dominant center?
Is the record skipping...
1) Strongest Center to play the game that no one can guard 1-on-1
2) Huge and extremely quick with that devious spin move
3) He dunks on everyone. No matter if they are defensive player of year like Mutombo or taking down backboards.
Go look up the stats from the Finals vs. the 76ers where the Laker's won their first championship.
You can ***** and moan all you want but Shaq single handedly annihilated the 76ers averaging 33pts and 16 rebs. Every single game he shot >52%. Two of the five he shot >60% from the field.
As Shaq matured, he became more than a dunker...he developed some nifty hooks around the basket. Was he as offensively versatile as Hakeem? No, but who really cares? The objective is to put the ball in the hole. Shaq scored majority of his points off overpowering his opponents around the rim with dunks and short shots, unless someone was able to stop him why would he go away from that which made him unstoppable?
And for the record, Shaq being big wasn't the only reason he was great. Otherwise Stanley Roberts would be one of the great centers ever. For those who don't know who that is, youtube it....
1) Strongest Center to play the game that no one can guard 1-on-1
2) Huge and extremely quick with that devious spin move
3) He dunks on everyone. No matter if they are defensive player of year like Mutombo or taking down backboards.
People also forget how much *better* he made everyone look because.
1) Double and triple teams left guys wiiiiiiide open. His departure from Orlando and LA made a whole lot of guys look a lot more average all of the sudden.
2) He was a foul sucking machine...often in the form of "and-1".
In turn, this resulted in his team often getting into the penalty which made guarding guys like Wade, Kobe and the whole crew in Orlando prior to that much more difficult. (And often opposing centers in foul trouble from Shaq could not contest layups etc. as aggresively.)
In the years Shaq was in Miami, Wade was taking 2 more FT's per game than he did in this years season despite taking a similar amount of shots.
Yeah, he wasn't a good FT shooter but hack-a-Shaq had brutal consequences in other areas and was a sign of desperation by opposing coaches.
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Hakeem over Shaq
