Go to nordvpn.com/jonnyarnett to get the two year plan with an exclusive deal PLUS one month free. It’s risk free with NordVPN’s 30 day money back guarantee. In your own words, how good was Shaq?? Also, RIP to the legendary Bill Russell. My next video will be in honor of him.
In my opinion, he is a top ten player of all time. But, if he put in the effort and stayed in shape like he was forced to during his 2000 season, he coulda won 5 mvp awards between 1997-2007 as well as a couple more championships, finals mvps, and contest Jorden as the greatest player ever.
The only thing he needed to put more effort in during his peak is free throws. If he could shoot normal 72% instead of 54%, he would have scores 2 pts per game more and drastically increase his efficiency. It would have lead to increase fg% as the defense would be scared to put as much contact in him for fear of fouling. At 54%ft, they played him as rough as possible because his ft was lower than his fg%. 72% ft Shaq would be contending Jordan for GOAT.
Top 5 peak imo, but it just didn't last as long as it should have due to work ethic and injuries. Dude just needed to work like 70% of what Kobe did (I think if he went as hard as Kobe that would have led to injuries at his size) and he would have dominated for an extra 3-4 years.
@@tj5180 I know defensive win shares are not the most perfect but he lead league in DWS in 99/00 and was 4th his rookie year. He was 10-15 a few times in defensive win shares.
Johny, the narrative that Shaq's physique hurt him is worse than you think. After he put on weight, he had to submerge his legs in a bath filled with painkillers after every game, unable to walk otherwise and crippled by excruciating pain. There's no magic in this world; no one can carry that much weight. Had Shaq stayed closer to his Orlando shape, he would've gained multiple championship opportunities.
Your videos keep me going dude. Most days I go through the motions, work a shitty job, pay bills, come home, wait to do it all again. But watching your videos take me back to a better time. Thanks for the content. You rock.
@@stratosphere2323 oh, in the finals. I thought you meant just in general. Too bad Chamberlain was against the most dominant team of all time in the playoffs. Also Jordan was more dominant in the finals...
I think that Shaq is one of rare players whose prime came in early. He won all his rings & MVP in 2000s, hence why people say he has a short career cuz that is what he is known for. But Shaq was already in the conversation of the best players in the 1990s. His prime came in mid1990s-early 2000s. That is nearly 10 seasons of prime years.
His lack of longevity is way overblown. He was a top player for 10 whole years and still good for about 15 years. That's not bad. He wasn't just elite in his championship Lakers years.
People act like he wasn’t in his prime during his later Orlando days Ethier or Early LA days (only the years he won rings..) and as a rockets fan that annoys me.
Shaq was always one of my favorite players to watch highlights of, the way he uses his size and skill is unlike any center that’s ever touched an nba court
I'm glad you brought up his footwork. Someone that big and large should not be able to move his feet like he did. Great video, and keep up the great content.
10:45 I 100% agree. Shaq had a lengthy prime where he was elite for his first 11 season averaging 28pts 12reb 2.8ast 2.6blk 58%fg 4 finals and 3 rings. He was still the best center in his 12th and 13h season, being robbed of MPV in the 13th season. This is a very lenghty prime and as you said, he may have been able to strech his elite playing prime by maybe 1-2 years at most. There are't many 33yr old centers in their elite prime in NBA history, certainly not before today's sports medicine. Duncan was no loner in his peak by age 29/30 and the elite centers of the 90s all started to slow down and stats reduced around 32-33 yrs of age. None made it to 34 even 90% of the player they were.
I think with the exception of Bill Russell (elite until he was 35), Wilt (elite until he was 37), & Hakeem (elite until he was 34). No other centers were as effective long term. Mikan fell off at 31, Duncan at 30, Ewing/Robinson at 33, Mutumbo/Smits at 32,. In that regard Shaq playing at a very high level up until he was 33/34 is very impressive. But he certainly could have slowed down his decline from 2006 to 2011 and make himself more of an impactful player in his declining years. At best he could have played 1 to 2 more years. Like Moses Malone, Garnett, Dirk, and anyone else I forgot to mention who is relevant to the discussion.
I think when it comes to shaq everyone some how gets $hit fir brains. Every one also firgets how much punchment he use to take while un babied and unprotected unlike other greats mainly mj, who if u just passed and the air off ur body offended him he would get a foul. With the addmtion of all his comptetors they used to hack him foul him, and it was expected they wouldnt get calked for fouls. Shaqs first injury in where someone broke his hand, broke his hand he was called for a travel. Soooo he was getting malested and injured for 14 years. Yes maybe he could have been in the gym a little longer, practiced free thros more. But it wasnt all on him, the nba back then was more concerned with simping for mj, and other centers, and thezn dunkin and the spers to care for others. The lakers where getting beat down by refs for shaqs first 4 years, just to creat the narative that they won after struggle, and to clear the way for mjs bulls in the final. The nba and david stern knew the bulls chances with shaqs lakers r way worse than the jazz. They knew shaq isnt as easly contain as the mail man.
@@aakaaki1 Shaq got away with LOTS of offensive fouls. Some actually say he was the start of allowing offensive players to initiate far more contact on defenders. Today it's more normal -- bully ball by lower your shoulder and pushing defender or using off arm to push defender. Those weren't at all common in the 90's, except Shaq with the bully ball.
Shaq is still my favorite player of all time. When I was a kid in the 90s everyone wanted to be like Mike I was trying hard to be like Shaq. My legs however didnt agree and I only made it to 6'3
About a year ago, I figured out what Shaq’s accolades would be if he made a league average free throw rate (74.8%). I don’t think he’s be the GOAT, but he’d probably be around 3rd to 5th: - 3 MVPs (3rd All-Time in MVP Shares) - 6 Scoring Titles, 33.9 PPG in 2000-01 - 15 All-NBA, 8 All-NBA 1st - 5 Rings, 4 FMVPs, 7 Finals Appearances - The 1990-2000 Lakers going 70-12, Unanimous MVP - 30,853 Points (25.6 PPG, 28.5 PPG in his prime) - 63.7% TS, led in 10 seasons - 30.3 PER, 195.7 Win Shares, 0.225 WS/48, 97.8 VORP - Worth +1.54 PPG (+1.83 in his Prime) over normal Shaq - 2000-01 All Time PER record (35.3) - 1999-00 21st Highest WS (19.3), 7th Since 1980, 6th Highest VORP (10.7)
I kinda agreed with you about the shape of Shaq. I just think the people really wanted the Lakers to win in 2003 and 2004, but even thought Shaq could have being in the best shape possible in those years, it's just one way to point fingers, also we like to point fingers on shaq-kobe relationship, but it's just extremely difficult to mantain that level of production for 5 years and win all those years. Players could get injured if they compromise their body with 5 finals like that, Klay got injured in 2019 and nobody expected that, he was in the best shape he could.
Shaq in his prime was probably the most dominant player ever he didn't just dominate individually like Wilt did he won 3 rings too if he never got lazy and kept that same fire we would be putting Shaq up there against Jordan and Lebron
Back at it again and at his peak he had a Top 3 peak behind or even ahead of MJ and LeBron🔥 also you forgot to mention about Shaq being one of few people to average 25PPG for 10 seasons
9:11 Wade was actually in his second year and had greatly improved from his rookie season. This is why I think the narrative that Shaq carried the Heat from a 42 win team to a 59 win team is misleading.
The bigger misleading claim is Nash narrative about improving the Suns from 29 to 62 wins. He went to a team with a bunch of early 20's players that were about to break out, think multiple Wades. In the year before Nash, Amare Stoudamire was 21, Joe Johnson 22, Shawn Marion 25 plus also Barbosa was 21. Then they add Quentin Richardson as well who had scored 17ppg the year before at age 23. So much of that 33 win improvement is just from the young stars getting one year old. Further evdience is that in that season, Amare was statistically superior to Nash -- beat him in win shares, ws/48, VORP and PER and nearly tied in BPM. In addition, Shawn Marion also beat Nash in win shares, VORP and nearly tied in BPM and ws/48. People like to point out that Nash was so great that's why Suns were able to go from 29 wins to 62. But they ignore that he left the Mavs the the Mavs IMPROVED from 52 to 58 wins just showing you how these changes in wins are not always the best measure. The Lakers dropped 22 games without Shaq so their net effect is Shaq 41 (19 plus 22) and Nash 27 (33 minus 6). We need to be consistent with both. If we criticize Shaq's impact on the Heat because of Wade, than even more criticism is given to Nash's 33 win improvement given he may have been statistically as low as 3rd on his team in advance stats and his he had multiple players that were similar to Wade.
@@generationstats997 First Nash MPV, I have Shaq/Dirk fighting for 1 and 2 with Nash in 3rd. Second MPV season, Dirk/Lebron fighting for 1-2 and Nash in 3rd. So yeah, Nash in 3rd both years but he gets #1 because he was exciting -- plus a small not too athletic white guy is going to draw the voters. Without knowing the advance stats we know today, Shaq likely wins that first mvp over Dirk and Lebron gets 2nd mvp over Dirk.
@@Homer-OJ-Simpson PER and WS are very boxscore heavy stats so that explains why Amare and Shawn beat out Nash in it. However you can't undermine how the addition of Nash unlocked the Suns offense with his all time level playmaking and elevated it to all time heights. He's a worthy MVP in both '05 and '06 imo.
@@tj5180 Wilt actually played more with grace. He was huge and graceful. Shaq played with size and power. In part it's because they just didn't play as physical in the 60's, at least no how centers would bang in the post. Thinking Basketball did an episode on Wilt and he described how Wilt played very differently than Shaq.
7:49 I’ve been saying this for YEARS! Kobe was a very important piece to their 3 titles, but was not the main focal point for other teams game plan for there defensively schemes, as well as main offensive threat in the triangle. Phil Jackson made things very clear those years the Shaq was the primary option.
Kobe was the best player in the playoffs but finals shaq was always dominated. Kobe took over and played both ends, closed out many of those games. He was doing that against some of the best defenses like the spurs for example
@@tj5180 Shaq dominated period. Kobe dominated because like Curry his gravity pulled everyone in the paint allowing Kobe easier looks on the perimeter in the triangle. Even if I agreed with your logic, that’s like saying Lebron carried the Heat in 2011 through the first 3 rounds, but D-Wade dominated the Finals where it mattered most winning FMVP. Also it’s clear as day Shaq even in the Finals was always facing All Star level talent. Most of Kobe’s match ups were fringe role players. I’m
@Jeremiah shaq was 1A and Kobe was 1b. My point was that kobe played like the best player at times and took over. Shaq was the best player overall but kobe wasn't carried. That's my point
@@ericdupree8603 I said both of them dominated and shaq called kobe the best player in 2001. Shaq was the best player no doubt and kobe went against Iverson and Reggie miller also Jason kidd etc and faced great defenses. Shaq faced weak comp in the finals at his position a dikembe past his prime and who was the nets stating center? Rik smits was past his prime and had injuries. Antonio Davis and Dale left the team
@@tj5180 So Mutombo being the best defensive player back to back years at 34 is washed, Reggie Miller at 34 wasn’t? Lol Kobe in 2000 was definitely 2nd fiddle that entire playoff run. Also AI was not Kobe’s assignment it was Derrick Fisher/Ty Lue for most possessions picking up AI and he averaged 35 that series regardless. In any case Kobe did make a jump in 01 & in 02 but the guards in the West they faced were role players whether it’s the Spurs with Antonio Daniels to Avery Johnson to the Kings with Doug Christie. Again his match ups aren’t that impressive when Shaq is going against Duncan, KG, Robinson, Wallace, and Webber getting hacked all game, and still dropping big numbers. Okay
Shaq longevity is very underrated along with his impact on the league, those things along with his domination alone make him top 10. It’s when we look after that is where is gets rough, he could’ve been the goat, but didn’t work for it
Season 2-11, during those 10 season he scored minimum of 26.2pts min 10.7 reb and min 55.7%fg for a 10 season average of 28.1pts 11.9reb 3.0ast 2.5blk 58%fg and 4 finals appearances with 3 championships.
A lot better than a lot of people seem to remember. He was literally the most physically dominating player of all time. And at his size he had tremendous skill. If he had the work ethic of an MJ or Kobe he may have gone down as top 2 or 3 all time
I always appreciate your vids, but I particularly appreciate this one. Not because I am a big Shaq fan, but because I wasn't, and got to appreciate him thru his stats, condensed, Jonny-style 👍
Only Wilt probably was the only one capable of shutting Shaq down? We'll never know? Otherwise, Shaquille was the most dominant center ide ever seen play.
@mattysykes2121 Hakeem was a more skilled center. That outplayed O'Neal in the 1995 Finals. But even he couldn't shut down O'Neal. The best defender on O'Neal was amazingly the smaller Rodman.
Very, very good. I have him as the 4th greatest centre behind only Kareem, Russell and wilt. His finals stats are absolutely ridiculous. He’d be the goat if he had the drive of an MJ or Kobe
@@critanalysis9546 nah there’s absolutely right and wrong. If I said Yao Ming is a top 5 center ever, what could I say to justify that claim? Just saying it doesn’t make it true or unable to be critiqued. People have to be Abel to back up their opinions if they are gonna be rooted in facts.
Hey Jonny, I have an idea for a series. The top 10 seasons for every GOAT candidates career. I know a lot of research and storylines go into something like that, but it’s just an idea. I love your channel.
GOAT Center. A non-lazy, fit Shaq would demolish ANY defender with his ball handling, footwork, and power. Nobody could move quite like Shaq at that weight and height. The glimpses of Shaq’s true peak at Orlando/LA is the kind dominance the NBA will never see again.
While Shaq is definely a top 10 player ever, BUT it is terrifying to think he could've been even more successful, from 1999-2003 his prime years I would say, he averaged 28.2 ppg on 57% field goal percentage , 12.1 rpg, 3.4 apg, and 2.5 blocks per game. Elite offense and defense but only lasting a few years. Kobe said it himself had Shaq taken care of his weight and fitness better for longer, who knows how many more titles he would've had on his resume. The fact Shaq is already the most destructive/physically overpowered force we've ever seen on the court, the fact he could've been even better is scary.
Shaq has the most 20pt/10reb seasons in NBA history (13). 15 all-stars and would have been 16 if they had an All-star game in 1999. Of players that actually went to college for at least 3 seasons, the only players that had better longevity is Kareem, Duncan and Karl Malone.
Shaq is top 5 all time in my opinion and the only thing that keeps him from being outright number 1 was Shaq's free throw woes. If he made his free throws he's easily #1.
It wasn't just his FTs. He was a lukewarm team defender. Sometimes he dialed it in (rookie year and 99-00 season) where he wanted to prove a point and other years he just coasted. He lagged behind the other elite Centers (Russell, Wilt, Kareem & Hakeem) as a shotblocking presence. Didn't always get back in transition and was exposed outside of the paint on defense. The Jazz made a mockery of his lazy defense in both 97 and 98 playoff meetings. .
I like this type of content, cause we all know his good but its definitely helpful for guys who didn't get to watch him play like me, im 13 born in 2009 so i dont really get to watch shaq at his best but because of this i know how good he really is
He was never an all timer on defense and didn't create for others at an all time great level either. I don't see it. For example, a guy like Giannis is on a similar level offensively and a different tier completely defensively.
@@benjaminan1183 the nba brought back zone defense to make the game harder for him... They had to shaq proof the hoops and have extra on hand because who knows what he was going to do.. He was as nimble and skilled around the basket as just about anyone on top of being the most imposing force I've seen in my lifetime.. He was absolutely that dude. To your points, he was a very good rim protector and rebounder. He was also an underrated and capable passer. If he shot a respectable percentage from the line he would've been the goat imo.
Lol did you watch the video? His MVP season he was second for DPOY while facing some of the toughest bigs in NBA history. He was averaging 4 assists per game that season which was plenty for a big who was also getting as many critical boards as he was and who could get high percentage shots at will. If you don’t think Shaq is up there in terms of greatest peaks, you just need to learn more about him I’m sorry.
It was more Batman and Superman with Shaq being Superman and Kobe being Batman Kobe‘s always prepping and planning ahead and preparing for his opponents shaq is raw power and ablitiy
One skill of Shaq's that's criminally underrated that I wish you pointed out is his passing ability. Shaq was a criminally underrated passer. That needs to be talked about more.
I'd love to see him match up against prime Wilt or Bill Russell. Especially Wilt, that would be 2 greatest powerhouses of a Center going at each other in most spectacular fashion. That being said, he's for def top 5 big man (centers) of all time, no shade of doubt about that. My top 5 (no particular order) - Wilt, Bill Russell, Shaq, Hakeem, David Robinson.
@@greywolf2155 not a REAL fan I'd say :P come on now, where's your support for your own local heroes? 😉That being said - if I was neutral and therefore truly objective - I'd put Kareem in my top 5 hands down 😏 but I AM NOT! Wanna fight about it? 😜
My opinion on Shaq: his orlando magic days are underrated as i see sites like bleacher report saying penny was better for the magic than shaq. first of all if we are just looking at averages its not even close as shaq averaged 27.2 points 12.5 rebounds 2.4 assists 2.8 blocks and 0.8 steals compared to pennys 19.0 points 4.7 rebounds 6.3 assists 0.5 blocks and 1.9 steals people that argue penny saying he was played longer for the magic and was more complete clearly are wrong as shaq more points more rebounds and more blocks while pennny had more assists and steals and plus shaqs steals and assist were good for a center. for la shaq is the best laker center of all time and i personally believe he is top 4 all time for lakers for the heat i know he struggled in 07 and 06 and its true that d wade played very well but he still was in mvp conseverations for 04-05 and he still was a vital piece of the 06 championship. for the suns he was alright and cleveland and boston he was an role player. overall top 11 player of all time
Wade wasn't a rookie the first year Shaq got there. He was a sophomore. They likely would have won that season if not for Wade getting injured against Detroit.
No the rift between them wouldn’t go past 2004, don’t let Kobe lie to you. Because Kobe’s mentality of wanting to prove his own individual greatness, Kobe’s ego at some point would’ve forced the Lakers organization to trade Shaq or he doesn’t opt in to his extension. He’s a competitor on the court, both to his adversaries and teammates, and its also a double edged sword. It’s a miracle they lasted 8 years
Except now, where zone defense is allowed which mitigate iso scoring, longer shots are taken lessening his rebounds and blocks, and on top of that stars play less minutes.
@@benjaminan1183 Top stars play less minutes because now they do everything. That's why 28pts 8 reb 8ast averages are a dime dozen while before on the greats did that. You have westbrook averaging triple doubles for several years straight and others getting close. The game is far better for individual stats today than it was in the 90's.
@@benjaminan1183 All true but this is also a FAR easier era for someone like Shaq, a dominant center with a good passing IQ. He would probably average 6+ assists playing today and he'd score more too because it's more dangerous to double a guy when he can kick out to a teammate on the 3pt line
@Fries That's accurate, by the standards of both today and the 80s the mid 2000s Suns would be a slow team, the early 2000s were absurdly slow. With that said, if that exact same team played today they would presumably shoot far more 3s and adjust with the rest of the league to be atleast an average paced team
@Fries Yes, Individual stats today are far easier to get. In regards to Suns 04-05 pace, it was 95.9 per 48min and league average then was 90.9. League average this past season was 98.82 since 2017, it's been around 100. So yes, *04-05 Suns pace is below league average pace since 2015-2016.*
I remember a few years ago I was discussing with a friend just how dominant Shaq was. Consider this... take EVERY PLAYER in NBA HISTORY & make them all shoot 75% from the free throw line. Shaq is the all time leading scorer. Now just make Shaq shoot 75% from the free throw line... You guessed it... ALL TIME LEADING SCORER.
Before I watch, Shaq is one of the most underrated players ever. would've still been dominant if he was half his size. he'll never get credit for his skill and finesse the way he should
I think he gets 2 to 3 more years of elite production if he stayed in shape, but more importantly I think he hits a slightly higher peak as well. One thing I sushi was that he worked on his free throws. That alone would have made a huge difference. He was starting to hit them in the 60s for a while with a shooting coach, but I guess they had a falling out midseason and he went back to shooting in the low 50s. Like how many more points would he have scored if he could hit fts at 67% consistently? You know they wouldn't do hack a shaq if he hit them at that rate, so he'd get more buckets as well instead of being intentionally fouled.
hm...I think people don't realize how humans work. shaq shooting 70% would be amazing. But I don't think him shooting 50% Was because he didn't work at it. To me the only thing would be his physique and conditioning. But even then there's a cap.
Hell Shaq is number 6 on my all time list.Bump that! That man had the greatest 3 year playoff stretch in nba history. He should have 5 rings bt kobe wanted to jack up shoots in the pistons series.. great great player
Recently I watched game 1 and its clear what Pistons tried and succeeded in doing. They didnt help on Shaq. Ben Wallace did pretty good job of slowing him down and he had noone to kick it out to. Kobe was frustrated and very impatient, he started jacking up stupid shots and they ended up losing in 5.
@@theodoranfilov5101 Yes, that was also an aging even more out of weight shaq. But that was a good strategy. The Lakers were old and Kobe was still a bit immature (even at age 25), Malone was hurt, and Payton was too slow. Shaq played very well but for not being double team much, Wallace did a great job and not letting Shaq go off for 35pts 15reb like he did prevoius 3 finals but instead was 27pt 11reb wiht only 1.6ast . Kobe was flustered and averaged only 22.6pts 4.4ast 38%fg. Lakers may have won if kobe could play like Kobe and if Malone was healthy. But an injured Malone and subpar play from Kobe lead to a route. Perhaps the biggest finals shock I've seen since I started watching in 1990 other than the 73 win Warriors losing.
@@theodoranfilov5101 - I would also like to add that Karl Malone was the glue to that team. His injury third way through the season derailed their chances so basically he played hobble throughout and missed the final game 5 of that DET series. Plus, Detroit knew Kobe wanted to be That guy so Kudos to Detroit. That's my more memorable of chips, behind Dirk's 2011 and Spurs 2014 chip.
@@theodoranfilov5101 The Pistons were really smart at how they handled Shaq. They basically forced him to run. They knew that man was in no shape to handle a 7 game series of track and field. Kobe explained it in the interview him and Shaq had together. Big Ben did a good job on him also ... considering it is Shaq (remember that block?). Dude was like a body builder that just so happened to play basketball really well.
The man was just something else It is not nitpicking but acknowledge the potential of having him dominant in a complete decade with titles won also and MVPs gained But the lack of sustainability in his work ethic put him below Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul Jabbar as the greatest centers of all time Let’s simply say that with an elite and durable work ethic he would have turned to be the GOAT with no discussions
Maybe he should've humbled himself and learned the Rick Barry "granny" free throws. Who knows how many more points he could've scored, how many more victories he could've led his teams, how many more titles he could've won. But all in all, Shaq----especially in his prime----was dominant and unstoppable.
As a spurs fan I was always glad when Kobe played as a ball hog because when he did the Spurs won. When he passed the ball and playered as Robin Shaq crushed us. He was so good in the early 2000’s. I think he is somewhat overlooked like Larry Bird in terms of how good they actually were. Larry Bird and Shaq were both vastly better than the rest of the league for a time but today they are largely remembered as relics of an old era that couldn’t compete in todays league. I’ve given up on ranking a “top 10” instead I have player tiers. Not in any particular order… Tier 1 or goat status is MJ, Kareem, Wilt. Tier 2 is Magic, Bird, Duncan, Shaq, Kobe, LeBron, Curry, Bill, Hakeem. Everyone else is somewhere after those guys.
I didn't know that Laettner was picked over Shaq for the Dream Team. I really, really can't imagine how much more destructive they would have been with Shaq on the team.
The reason for all the criticism is because we saw how great he was. Nobody has been that big and that athletic. He's easily top 15 and arguably top 10 all time. Had he kept in better shape and been even a league average free throw shooter, he'd be the consensus #1. That is why people think of him as underachieving, despite all his accolades.
The 3 greatest players of that era were Shaq, Kobe and Duncan, in no particular order. Shaq had the “worst” career of the 3. Shaq played 19 years, but his last 5 years we was a role player. He honestly should have retired after Phoenix. But he is still a 10 ten player of all time
when u shoot a nerf ball into the tiny hoop its way harder with two hands...i imagine this is what its like being shaq and why he had such good 1 handed shots
I have Shaq just outside the Top 10. He's a Top 5 Center and the best there was during his prime years of the 2000s. As for the Batman and Robin comparison with Kobe though, I disagree. Shaq was the SUPERMAN to Kobe's Batman during their time together.
The knock on Shaq's longevity is probably more the fact that his absolute peak was as short as it was (1999-2003), but he was the best player I've ever seen during it, MJ, LeBron, Kobe and whoever you like included. It's definitely more a nitpick than anything though, even if that was a short peak he was very good before and after. The list of players who have scored 20+ on 60% from the field is short and he did that his first 2 years with the heat, he was still an all star on the Suns and a quality starter for the Cavs, and he played 19 years. Obviously he was still pretty darn good prior to '99 too. 😊
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In your own words, how good was Shaq?? Also, RIP to the legendary Bill Russell. My next video will be in honor of him.
Rip Bill Russell
He’s the 5th best center of all time
@@RetroNBA42 He's a goat lmao
@@RetroNBA42 no way u said this 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
He’s the second best behind kareem
In my opinion, he is a top ten player of all time. But, if he put in the effort and stayed in shape like he was forced to during his 2000 season, he coulda won 5 mvp awards between 1997-2007 as well as a couple more championships, finals mvps, and contest Jorden as the greatest player ever.
The only thing he needed to put more effort in during his peak is free throws. If he could shoot normal 72% instead of 54%, he would have scores 2 pts per game more and drastically increase his efficiency. It would have lead to increase fg% as the defense would be scared to put as much contact in him for fear of fouling. At 54%ft, they played him as rough as possible because his ft was lower than his fg%. 72% ft Shaq would be contending Jordan for GOAT.
@@Homer-OJ-Simpson his defense wasn`t good either. He was mostly and didn`t have a good motor
@@tj5180 his defense was above average but yeah, it wasn’t elite. But it’s the free throws that prevented him from being goat discussion
Top 5 peak imo, but it just didn't last as long as it should have due to work ethic and injuries.
Dude just needed to work like 70% of what Kobe did (I think if he went as hard as Kobe that would have led to injuries at his size) and he would have dominated for an extra 3-4 years.
@@tj5180 I know defensive win shares are not the most perfect but he lead league in DWS in 99/00 and was 4th his rookie year. He was 10-15 a few times in defensive win shares.
Johny, the narrative that Shaq's physique hurt him is worse than you think. After he put on weight, he had to submerge his legs in a bath filled with painkillers after every game, unable to walk otherwise and crippled by excruciating pain. There's no magic in this world; no one can carry that much weight. Had Shaq stayed closer to his Orlando shape, he would've gained multiple championship opportunities.
rumor is that Kobe would swim in painkillers after every game just to prove to shaq he was slacking
@@jungshin87 what 😭
@@jungshin87 lol. How true is that
Oh my fucking god.
Wow! Where did you hear that from?
Amazing if true!!
Welcome back Jonny! We missed you!
Thank you! good to be back on the grind.
@@jonnyarnett And we are happy to watch more content...
Your videos keep me going dude. Most days I go through the motions, work a shitty job, pay bills, come home, wait to do it all again. But watching your videos take me back to a better time. Thanks for the content. You rock.
the numbers he put up from 2000-2002 are legit mind boggling
@@stratosphere2323 how did he put up better numbers than Wilt?
@@stratosphere2323 oh, in the finals. I thought you meant just in general. Too bad Chamberlain was against the most dominant team of all time in the playoffs.
Also Jordan was more dominant in the finals...
I farted.
I think that Shaq is one of rare players whose prime came in early. He won all his rings & MVP in 2000s, hence why people say he has a short career cuz that is what he is known for. But Shaq was already in the conversation of the best players in the 1990s. His prime came in mid1990s-early 2000s. That is nearly 10 seasons of prime years.
Agreed
Shaq's prime was from age 24 to age 30. Pretty standard stuff.
His lack of longevity is way overblown. He was a top player for 10 whole years and still good for about 15 years. That's not bad. He wasn't just elite in his championship Lakers years.
Yeah the pace of play in the league slowed down a lot in the early 2000s so him averaging fewer points by a little wasn’t really him dropping off.
People act like he wasn’t in his prime during his later Orlando days Ethier or Early LA days (only the years he won rings..) and as a rockets fan that annoys me.
Shaq was always one of my favorite players to watch highlights of, the way he uses his size and skill is unlike any center that’s ever touched an nba court
Not only one of the best, but also one of the most charismatic player of all time
I'm glad you brought up his footwork. Someone that big and large should not be able to move his feet like he did. Great video, and keep up the great content.
10:45 I 100% agree. Shaq had a lengthy prime where he was elite for his first 11 season averaging 28pts 12reb 2.8ast 2.6blk 58%fg 4 finals and 3 rings. He was still the best center in his 12th and 13h season, being robbed of MPV in the 13th season. This is a very lenghty prime and as you said, he may have been able to strech his elite playing prime by maybe 1-2 years at most. There are't many 33yr old centers in their elite prime in NBA history, certainly not before today's sports medicine. Duncan was no loner in his peak by age 29/30 and the elite centers of the 90s all started to slow down and stats reduced around 32-33 yrs of age. None made it to 34 even 90% of the player they were.
I think with the exception of Bill Russell (elite until he was 35), Wilt (elite until he was 37), & Hakeem (elite until he was 34). No other centers were as effective long term. Mikan fell off at 31, Duncan at 30, Ewing/Robinson at 33, Mutumbo/Smits at 32,. In that regard Shaq playing at a very high level up until he was 33/34 is very impressive. But he certainly could have slowed down his decline from 2006 to 2011 and make himself more of an impactful player in his declining years. At best he could have played 1 to 2 more years. Like Moses Malone, Garnett, Dirk, and anyone else I forgot to mention who is relevant to the discussion.
I think when it comes to shaq everyone some how gets $hit fir brains. Every one also firgets how much punchment he use to take while un babied and unprotected unlike other greats mainly mj, who if u just passed and the air off ur body offended him he would get a foul. With the addmtion of all his comptetors they used to hack him foul him, and it was expected they wouldnt get calked for fouls. Shaqs first injury in where someone broke his hand, broke his hand he was called for a travel. Soooo he was getting malested and injured for 14 years. Yes maybe he could have been in the gym a little longer, practiced free thros more. But it wasnt all on him, the nba back then was more concerned with simping for mj, and other centers, and thezn dunkin and the spers to care for others. The lakers where getting beat down by refs for shaqs first 4 years, just to creat the narative that they won after struggle, and to clear the way for mjs bulls in the final. The nba and david stern knew the bulls chances with shaqs lakers r way worse than the jazz. They knew shaq isnt as easly contain as the mail man.
@@aakaaki1 Shaq got away with LOTS of offensive fouls. Some actually say he was the start of allowing offensive players to initiate far more contact on defenders. Today it's more normal -- bully ball by lower your shoulder and pushing defender or using off arm to push defender. Those weren't at all common in the 90's, except Shaq with the bully ball.
Shaq is still my favorite player of all time. When I was a kid in the 90s everyone wanted to be like Mike I was trying hard to be like Shaq. My legs however didnt agree and I only made it to 6'3
“Only” six-foot-three… 😅
Y'all think I could be close I'm 5'9 at 12 years old
@@-rio-. You finna be the next giannis bro
@@-rio-. how you can do. It. Drink water eat healthy exercise and sleep
I am 5'2 and however I tried to play like Vince Carter, I was impressed by The Answer more
The longevity argument is very dumb imo as from the ages of 20-33 he was a superstar. That's actually great longevity if anything
he avg almost same stats from 1993 to 2003😄
About a year ago, I figured out what Shaq’s accolades would be if he made a league average free throw rate (74.8%). I don’t think he’s be the GOAT, but he’d probably be around 3rd to 5th:
- 3 MVPs (3rd All-Time in MVP Shares)
- 6 Scoring Titles, 33.9 PPG in 2000-01
- 15 All-NBA, 8 All-NBA 1st
- 5 Rings, 4 FMVPs, 7 Finals Appearances
- The 1990-2000 Lakers going 70-12, Unanimous MVP
- 30,853 Points (25.6 PPG, 28.5 PPG in his prime)
- 63.7% TS, led in 10 seasons
- 30.3 PER, 195.7 Win Shares, 0.225 WS/48, 97.8 VORP
- Worth +1.54 PPG (+1.83 in his Prime) over normal Shaq
- 2000-01 All Time PER record (35.3)
- 1999-00 21st Highest WS (19.3), 7th Since
1980, 6th Highest VORP (10.7)
I kinda agreed with you about the shape of Shaq. I just think the people really wanted the Lakers to win in 2003 and 2004, but even thought Shaq could have being in the best shape possible in those years, it's just one way to point fingers, also we like to point fingers on shaq-kobe relationship, but it's just extremely difficult to mantain that level of production for 5 years and win all those years. Players could get injured if they compromise their body with 5 finals like that, Klay got injured in 2019 and nobody expected that, he was in the best shape he could.
Shaq in his prime was probably the most dominant player ever he didn't just dominate individually like Wilt did he won 3 rings too if he never got lazy and kept that same fire we would be putting Shaq up there against Jordan and Lebron
I missed Shaq in his Orlando/Lakers days
Back at it again and at his peak he had a Top 3 peak behind or even ahead of MJ and LeBron🔥 also you forgot to mention about Shaq being one of few people to average 25PPG for 10 seasons
9:11 Wade was actually in his second year and had greatly improved from his rookie season. This is why I think the narrative that Shaq carried the Heat from a 42 win team to a 59 win team is misleading.
W
The bigger misleading claim is Nash narrative about improving the Suns from 29 to 62 wins. He went to a team with a bunch of early 20's players that were about to break out, think multiple Wades. In the year before Nash, Amare Stoudamire was 21, Joe Johnson 22, Shawn Marion 25 plus also Barbosa was 21. Then they add Quentin Richardson as well who had scored 17ppg the year before at age 23. So much of that 33 win improvement is just from the young stars getting one year old. Further evdience is that in that season, Amare was statistically superior to Nash -- beat him in win shares, ws/48, VORP and PER and nearly tied in BPM. In addition, Shawn Marion also beat Nash in win shares, VORP and nearly tied in BPM and ws/48.
People like to point out that Nash was so great that's why Suns were able to go from 29 wins to 62. But they ignore that he left the Mavs the the Mavs IMPROVED from 52 to 58 wins just showing you how these changes in wins are not always the best measure. The Lakers dropped 22 games without Shaq so their net effect is Shaq 41 (19 plus 22) and Nash 27 (33 minus 6).
We need to be consistent with both. If we criticize Shaq's impact on the Heat because of Wade, than even more criticism is given to Nash's 33 win improvement given he may have been statistically as low as 3rd on his team in advance stats and his he had multiple players that were similar to Wade.
@@Homer-OJ-Simpson I think both seasons were overrated. I would've given the MVP that year to Dirk.
@@generationstats997 First Nash MPV, I have Shaq/Dirk fighting for 1 and 2 with Nash in 3rd. Second MPV season, Dirk/Lebron fighting for 1-2 and Nash in 3rd. So yeah, Nash in 3rd both years but he gets #1 because he was exciting -- plus a small not too athletic white guy is going to draw the voters.
Without knowing the advance stats we know today, Shaq likely wins that first mvp over Dirk and Lebron gets 2nd mvp over Dirk.
@@Homer-OJ-Simpson PER and WS are very boxscore heavy stats so that explains why Amare and Shawn beat out Nash in it. However you can't undermine how the addition of Nash unlocked the Suns offense with his all time level playmaking and elevated it to all time heights. He's a worthy MVP in both '05 and '06 imo.
shaq was special there will never be another center like him and we'll never see a man his size that's as fast as him in the nba ever again
guess u never heard of Wilt he was the most domiant player not shaq
@@tj5180 Wilt actually played more with grace. He was huge and graceful. Shaq played with size and power. In part it's because they just didn't play as physical in the 60's, at least no how centers would bang in the post. Thinking Basketball did an episode on Wilt and he described how Wilt played very differently than Shaq.
Zion is like a 2 door hatchback Shaq.
@@joeyjo-joshabadu9636 Zion is like young Barkley body with Shawn Kemp athleticism.
@@Homer-OJ-Simpson Zion is actually quite a bit bigger than Chuckwagon. To quote the man: "[Zion] looks like me and Shaq had a baby"
7:49 I’ve been saying this for YEARS! Kobe was a very important piece to their 3 titles, but was not the main focal point for other teams game plan for there defensively schemes, as well as main offensive threat in the triangle. Phil Jackson made things very clear those years the Shaq was the primary option.
Kobe was the best player in the playoffs but finals shaq was always dominated. Kobe took over and played both ends, closed out many of those games. He was doing that against some of the best defenses like the spurs for example
@@tj5180 Shaq dominated period. Kobe dominated because like Curry his gravity pulled everyone in the paint allowing Kobe easier looks on the perimeter in the triangle. Even if I agreed with your logic, that’s like saying Lebron carried the Heat in 2011 through the first 3 rounds, but D-Wade dominated the Finals where it mattered most winning FMVP. Also it’s clear as day Shaq even in the Finals was always facing All Star level talent. Most of Kobe’s match ups were fringe role players. I’m
@Jeremiah shaq was 1A and Kobe was 1b. My point was that kobe played like the best player at times and took over. Shaq was the best player overall but kobe wasn't carried. That's my point
@@ericdupree8603 I said both of them dominated and shaq called kobe the best player in 2001. Shaq was the best player no doubt and kobe went against Iverson and Reggie miller also Jason kidd etc and faced great defenses. Shaq faced weak comp in the finals at his position a dikembe past his prime and who was the nets stating center? Rik smits was past his prime and had injuries. Antonio Davis and Dale left the team
@@tj5180 So Mutombo being the best defensive player back to back years at 34 is washed, Reggie Miller at 34 wasn’t? Lol Kobe in 2000 was definitely 2nd fiddle that entire playoff run. Also AI was not Kobe’s assignment it was Derrick Fisher/Ty Lue for most possessions picking up AI and he averaged 35 that series regardless. In any case Kobe did make a jump in 01 & in 02 but the guards in the West they faced were role players whether it’s the Spurs with Antonio Daniels to Avery Johnson to the Kings with Doug Christie. Again his match ups aren’t that impressive when Shaq is going against Duncan, KG, Robinson, Wallace, and Webber getting hacked all game, and still dropping big numbers. Okay
Shaq longevity is very underrated along with his impact on the league, those things along with his domination alone make him top 10.
It’s when we look after that is where is gets rough, he could’ve been the goat, but didn’t work for it
i love how people act like he was washed up in Miami. he was still a friggin monster!!
@@jungshin87 he only had one good season which was in 05 but not nearly as dominant as he was in LA
I was such a huge fan of the Shaq & Penny duo along with Horace and Nick Anderson it's still hard to believe they didn't win a championship
Shaq is arguably the most dominant scorer and people bash him for his longevity but he avg 25+ for 12 years
Season 2-11, during those 10 season he scored minimum of 26.2pts min 10.7 reb and min 55.7%fg for a 10 season average of 28.1pts 11.9reb 3.0ast 2.5blk 58%fg and 4 finals appearances with 3 championships.
Penny wasn’t drafted by the Magic, they drafted Webber and traded for Penny. Otherwise great video as always!👍
A lot better than a lot of people seem to remember. He was literally the most physically dominating player of all time. And at his size he had tremendous skill. If he had the work ethic of an MJ or Kobe he may have gone down as top 2 or 3 all time
I always appreciate your vids, but I particularly appreciate this one. Not because I am a big Shaq fan, but because I wasn't, and got to appreciate him thru his stats, condensed, Jonny-style 👍
Only Wilt probably was the only one capable of shutting Shaq down? We'll never know? Otherwise, Shaquille was the most dominant center ide ever seen play.
Hakeem the dream has entered the chat!
@mattysykes2121 Hakeem was a more skilled center. That outplayed O'Neal in the 1995 Finals. But even he couldn't shut down O'Neal.
The best defender on O'Neal was amazingly the smaller Rodman.
Very, very good. I have him as the 4th greatest centre behind only Kareem, Russell and wilt. His finals stats are absolutely ridiculous. He’d be the goat if he had the drive of an MJ or Kobe
You have the wrong list, I'll help you out.
Greatest centers of all-time...
1. Kareem
2. Hakeem
3. Shaq
4. Moses
5. Wilt
@@GigglewithFelix321 everyones is subjective bro, no one is right or wrong, i do like your list tho 😂
@@GigglewithFelix321 Hakeem is the BEST best he did not have a GREATER career than Russell or wilt. There’s nothing to signify that as being true.
@@GigglewithFelix321 and Moses definitely is not over russel. Don’t be an idiot.
@@critanalysis9546 nah there’s absolutely right and wrong. If I said Yao Ming is a top 5 center ever, what could I say to justify that claim? Just saying it doesn’t make it true or unable to be critiqued. People have to be Abel to back up their opinions if they are gonna be rooted in facts.
Hey Jonny, I have an idea for a series.
The top 10 seasons for every GOAT candidates career. I know a lot of research and storylines go into something like that, but it’s just an idea. I love your channel.
I have great news for you, Koney Morgan:
ua-cam.com/video/6lDZ0g9HoPw/v-deo.html&ab_channel=JonnyArnett
GOAT Center. A non-lazy, fit Shaq would demolish ANY defender with his ball handling, footwork, and power. Nobody could move quite like Shaq at that weight and height. The glimpses of Shaq’s true peak at Orlando/LA is the kind dominance the NBA will never see again.
While Shaq is definely a top 10 player ever, BUT it is terrifying to think he could've been even more successful, from 1999-2003 his prime years I would say, he averaged 28.2 ppg on 57% field goal percentage , 12.1 rpg, 3.4 apg, and 2.5 blocks per game. Elite offense and defense but only lasting a few years. Kobe said it himself had Shaq taken care of his weight and fitness better for longer, who knows how many more titles he would've had on his resume. The fact Shaq is already the most destructive/physically overpowered force we've ever seen on the court, the fact he could've been even better is scary.
Shaq has the most 20pt/10reb seasons in NBA history (13). 15 all-stars and would have been 16 if they had an All-star game in 1999. Of players that actually went to college for at least 3 seasons, the only players that had better longevity is Kareem, Duncan and Karl Malone.
Shaq is top 5 all time in my opinion and the only thing that keeps him from being outright number 1 was Shaq's free throw woes. If he made his free throws he's easily #1.
It wasn't just his FTs. He was a lukewarm team defender. Sometimes he dialed it in (rookie year and 99-00 season) where he wanted to prove a point and other years he just coasted. He lagged behind the other elite Centers (Russell, Wilt, Kareem & Hakeem) as a shotblocking presence.
Didn't always get back in transition and was exposed outside of the paint on defense.
The Jazz made a mockery of his lazy defense in both 97 and 98 playoff meetings. .
Hey Jonny, good to hear from you.
I like this type of content, cause we all know his good but its definitely helpful for guys who didn't get to watch him play like me, im 13 born in 2009 so i dont really get to watch shaq at his best but because of this i know how good he really is
Also great video as per usual!
Babe wake up.. jonny arnett posted
I always say if you’re going to talk about “greatest peaks” when discussing GOAT, Shaq has to be in the conversation.
He was never an all timer on defense and didn't create for others at an all time great level either. I don't see it. For example, a guy like Giannis is on a similar level offensively and a different tier completely defensively.
@@benjaminan1183 the nba brought back zone defense to make the game harder for him...
They had to shaq proof the hoops and have extra on hand because who knows what he was going to do.. He was as nimble and skilled around the basket as just about anyone on top of being the most imposing force I've seen in my lifetime.. He was absolutely that dude.
To your points, he was a very good rim protector and rebounder. He was also an underrated and capable passer. If he shot a respectable percentage from the line he would've been the goat imo.
Lol did you watch the video? His MVP season he was second for DPOY while facing some of the toughest bigs in NBA history. He was averaging 4 assists per game that season which was plenty for a big who was also getting as many critical boards as he was and who could get high percentage shots at will. If you don’t think Shaq is up there in terms of greatest peaks, you just need to learn more about him I’m sorry.
@@ethanjobson3879 Being up there as one of greatest =/= arguably GOAT, I just don't agree with the latter, top 10 for sure though.
It was more Batman and Superman with Shaq being Superman and Kobe being Batman Kobe‘s always prepping and planning ahead and preparing for his opponents shaq is raw power and ablitiy
👌
Nice video Jonny!
After watching this.. He was a huge star.. Thank you for the info.
One skill of Shaq's that's criminally underrated that I wish you pointed out is his passing ability. Shaq was a criminally underrated passer. That needs to be talked about more.
Hell yeah, Shaq is an amazing athlete
I'd love to see him match up against prime Wilt or Bill Russell. Especially Wilt, that would be 2 greatest powerhouses of a Center going at each other in most spectacular fashion. That being said, he's for def top 5 big man (centers) of all time, no shade of doubt about that. My top 5 (no particular order) - Wilt, Bill Russell, Shaq, Hakeem, David Robinson.
. . . I'm assuming you just forgot about Kareem, yeah?
@@greywolf2155 eeee, kind of 😅, gotta admit being biased , Spurs fan here :P
@@realsciencerhythm I'm a Sonics fan, who puts Gary Payton in my Top 5 point guards of all time no matter what anyone says
@@greywolf2155 not a REAL fan I'd say :P come on now, where's your support for your own local heroes? 😉That being said - if I was neutral and therefore truly objective - I'd put Kareem in my top 5 hands down 😏 but I AM NOT! Wanna fight about it? 😜
@@realsciencerhythm ooh fiesty 😂
Prime vs Prime? I think nobody can guard shaq ever
Shaq is my favorite player of all time.
My opinion on Shaq: his orlando magic days are underrated as i see sites like bleacher report saying penny was better for the magic than shaq. first of all if we are just looking at averages its not even close as shaq averaged 27.2 points 12.5 rebounds 2.4 assists 2.8 blocks and 0.8 steals compared to pennys 19.0 points 4.7 rebounds 6.3 assists 0.5 blocks and 1.9 steals people that argue penny saying he was played longer for the magic and was more complete clearly are wrong as shaq more points more rebounds and more blocks while pennny had more assists and steals and plus shaqs steals and assist were good for a center. for la shaq is the best laker center of all time and i personally believe he is top 4 all time for lakers for the heat i know he struggled in 07 and 06 and its true that d wade played very well but he still was in mvp conseverations for 04-05 and he still was a vital piece of the 06 championship. for the suns he was alright and cleveland and boston he was an role player. overall top 11 player of all time
@Fries yeah its really close in those 7-11 spots those can switch very easily
your theme song is the most beautiful thing that has ever graced my hears
Great video!
The BIGGEST TRAGEDY is that he only won 1 MVP. He should have gotten at least 3. Shaq was just a different beast🤯🤯🤯🤯
Other Players like Hakeem Olajuwon and Kobe Bryant should have gotten another MVP or Two.
Wade wasn't a rookie the first year Shaq got there. He was a sophomore. They likely would have won that season if not for Wade getting injured against Detroit.
If Shaq kept his weight to a max 300lbs and had Kobe’s work ethic. Him and Kobe would’ve won 7-8 rings from 2000-2009
No the rift between them wouldn’t go past 2004, don’t let Kobe lie to you. Because Kobe’s mentality of wanting to prove his own individual greatness, Kobe’s ego at some point would’ve forced the Lakers organization to trade Shaq or he doesn’t opt in to his extension. He’s a competitor on the court, both to his adversaries and teammates, and its also a double edged sword. It’s a miracle they lasted 8 years
Shaq also won his MVP during the slowest era in NBA history, in any other time period his peak stats wouldve been even more impressive
Except now, where zone defense is allowed which mitigate iso scoring, longer shots are taken lessening his rebounds and blocks, and on top of that stars play less minutes.
@@benjaminan1183 Top stars play less minutes because now they do everything. That's why 28pts 8 reb 8ast averages are a dime dozen while before on the greats did that. You have westbrook averaging triple doubles for several years straight and others getting close. The game is far better for individual stats today than it was in the 90's.
@@benjaminan1183 All true but this is also a FAR easier era for someone like Shaq, a dominant center with a good passing IQ. He would probably average 6+ assists playing today and he'd score more too because it's more dangerous to double a guy when he can kick out to a teammate on the 3pt line
@Fries That's accurate, by the standards of both today and the 80s the mid 2000s Suns would be a slow team, the early 2000s were absurdly slow. With that said, if that exact same team played today they would presumably shoot far more 3s and adjust with the rest of the league to be atleast an average paced team
@Fries Yes, Individual stats today are far easier to get. In regards to Suns 04-05 pace, it was 95.9 per 48min and league average then was 90.9. League average this past season was 98.82 since 2017, it's been around 100. So yes, *04-05 Suns pace is below league average pace since 2015-2016.*
The clips of him dominating the pacers still hurt this indiana boy to this day
been a couple weeks really missed your content bro
I'm so glad your channel exists because anyone who knows basketball should know bully ball alone doesn't win you 3 Finals MVPs.
I remember a few years ago I was discussing with a friend just how dominant Shaq was. Consider this... take EVERY PLAYER in NBA HISTORY & make them all shoot 75% from the free throw line. Shaq is the all time leading scorer. Now just make Shaq shoot 75% from the free throw line... You guessed it... ALL TIME LEADING SCORER.
If he was a 75% ft shooter they wouldn’t have fouled him as much with the hack a shaq.
I’m very surprised he doesn’t have more All Defensive team selections.
Before I watch, Shaq is one of the most underrated players ever. would've still been dominant if he was half his size. he'll never get credit for his skill and finesse the way he should
He killed the center position, in that nobody else wanted to have to guard him. :D
To play in the NBA at 7’1” and not have notorious injury issues is amazing, but to do it between 275-3?? Lbs is improbable…
Shaq's true robin was Phil Jackson and the triangle offense. He was the perfect triangle player.
I have him at 9 or ten all time he was insanely dominant and was just over all a beast
Universally Respected
my top 5 center are Kareem, Russell, Chamberlain, Hakeem, Shaq. In his prime 1999-2000, and 2001-2002, he could be the best center in history.
I still don’t believe Shaq hit his true peak. If he had Kobe’s work ethic he might’ve been the goat frfr
If he had moves work ethic, he wouldn’t be shaq.
I agree.
@@TheIcemanthomas what?
Shaq wasn`t a leader either and had habits of being selfish during his days with the magic and when he went to the lakers also being out of shape
My all-time favorite player.
Unstoppable and my personal favorite.
I think he gets 2 to 3 more years of elite production if he stayed in shape, but more importantly I think he hits a slightly higher peak as well.
One thing I sushi was that he worked on his free throws. That alone would have made a huge difference. He was starting to hit them in the 60s for a while with a shooting coach, but I guess they had a falling out midseason and he went back to shooting in the low 50s. Like how many more points would he have scored if he could hit fts at 67% consistently? You know they wouldn't do hack a shaq if he hit them at that rate, so he'd get more buckets as well instead of being intentionally fouled.
hm...I think people don't realize how humans work. shaq shooting 70% would be amazing. But I don't think him shooting 50% Was because he didn't work at it. To me the only thing would be his physique and conditioning. But even then there's a cap.
Top 4 center of all time. Eighth greatest player of all time and the most dominant center of the MODERN era!
Kareem, Russell, hakeem and shaq
@@tj5180 Russell , Kareem, Wilt Shaq
@@RageManRegg no Hakeem ?
@@tj5180 right after Shaq
Top 5 center all-time. I would put his peak in the top 5.
Yes also Top 5 in my book: Kareem, Bill, Wilt, Hakeem, Shaq
@@vincealexander9253 it’s unquestionable that’s the top 5, there’s not even a debate🤣
I’m 35 Shaq is the greatest Center of my Generation!
Shaq is the best center of all-time. I got to put Shaq top five or six players of all-time. Imo.
Hell Shaq is number 6 on my all time list.Bump that! That man had the greatest 3 year playoff stretch in nba history. He should have 5 rings bt kobe wanted to jack up shoots in the pistons series.. great great player
Recently I watched game 1 and its clear what Pistons tried and succeeded in doing. They didnt help on Shaq. Ben Wallace did pretty good job of slowing him down and he had noone to kick it out to. Kobe was frustrated and very impatient, he started jacking up stupid shots and they ended up losing in 5.
@@theodoranfilov5101 Yes, that was also an aging even more out of weight shaq. But that was a good strategy. The Lakers were old and Kobe was still a bit immature (even at age 25), Malone was hurt, and Payton was too slow. Shaq played very well but for not being double team much, Wallace did a great job and not letting Shaq go off for 35pts 15reb like he did prevoius 3 finals but instead was 27pt 11reb wiht only 1.6ast . Kobe was flustered and averaged only 22.6pts 4.4ast 38%fg. Lakers may have won if kobe could play like Kobe and if Malone was healthy. But an injured Malone and subpar play from Kobe lead to a route.
Perhaps the biggest finals shock I've seen since I started watching in 1990 other than the 73 win Warriors losing.
@@theodoranfilov5101 - I would also like to add that Karl Malone was the glue to that team. His injury third way through the season derailed their chances so basically he played hobble throughout and missed the final game 5 of that DET series.
Plus, Detroit knew Kobe wanted to be That guy so Kudos to Detroit. That's my more memorable of chips, behind Dirk's 2011 and Spurs 2014 chip.
@@jlui21 add Hakeem in 95 when he beat Robinson and Shaq and we have a deal 😀
@@theodoranfilov5101 The Pistons were really smart at how they handled Shaq. They basically forced him to run. They knew that man was in no shape to handle a 7 game series of track and field. Kobe explained it in the interview him and Shaq had together. Big Ben did a good job on him also ... considering it is Shaq (remember that block?). Dude was like a body builder that just so happened to play basketball really well.
This was great, but I'm ready for a Bill Russell video.
Top 10 player of all time. Case closed.
Shaq is the greatest center of all time. Only rivalled by Kareem
The man was just something else
It is not nitpicking but acknowledge the potential of having him dominant in a complete decade with titles won also and MVPs gained
But the lack of sustainability in his work ethic put him below Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul Jabbar as the greatest centers of all time
Let’s simply say that with an elite and durable work ethic he would have turned to be the GOAT with no discussions
His first two years were ... 😳
Shaq didn't play with Rookie year DWade, he came the year after.
Maybe he should've humbled himself and learned the Rick Barry "granny" free throws. Who knows how many more points he could've scored, how many more victories he could've led his teams, how many more titles he could've won. But all in all, Shaq----especially in his prime----was dominant and unstoppable.
Shaq left a lot on the table. He should’ve had 6 or 7 championships 3 or 4 regular season MVPS. Over 40,000 points 4 or 5 finals MVPs.
I think Chick Hearn once said that every time he went toward the basket it could arguable been called a foul.
That is what a physical anomaly he was.
I swear shaqs longevity is very underrated
He was fantastic. Top 10 all time easily
As a spurs fan I was always glad when Kobe played as a ball hog because when he did the Spurs won. When he passed the ball and playered as Robin Shaq crushed us. He was so good in the early 2000’s. I think he is somewhat overlooked like Larry Bird in terms of how good they actually were. Larry Bird and Shaq were both vastly better than the rest of the league for a time but today they are largely remembered as relics of an old era that couldn’t compete in todays league. I’ve given up on ranking a “top 10” instead I have player tiers. Not in any particular order… Tier 1 or goat status is MJ, Kareem, Wilt. Tier 2 is Magic, Bird, Duncan, Shaq, Kobe, LeBron, Curry, Bill, Hakeem. Everyone else is somewhere after those guys.
Prime Shaq with a work ethic is the goat
Shaq has the best personality I'm NBA history
I didn't know that Laettner was picked over Shaq for the Dream Team. I really, really can't imagine how much more destructive they would have been with Shaq on the team.
The reason for all the criticism is because we saw how great he was. Nobody has been that big and that athletic. He's easily top 15 and arguably top 10 all time. Had he kept in better shape and been even a league average free throw shooter, he'd be the consensus #1. That is why people think of him as underachieving, despite all his accolades.
Can you do David Robinson next?
Thank you for all the quality content 🙏🏽
The fact that Shaq isn’t unarguably the greatest big man ever is a shame. He had the tools to make it a non-contest
The 3 greatest players of that era were Shaq, Kobe and Duncan, in no particular order. Shaq had the “worst” career of the 3. Shaq played 19 years, but his last 5 years we was a role player. He honestly should have retired after Phoenix. But he is still a 10 ten player of all time
when u shoot a nerf ball into the tiny hoop its way harder with two hands...i imagine this is what its like being shaq and why he had such good 1 handed shots
He was a straight up beast! 💪😎
I always argued that if I could pick any player in nba history I would always pick Jordan #1 and shaq would be #2
I have Shaq just outside the Top 10. He's a Top 5 Center and the best there was during his prime years of the 2000s.
As for the Batman and Robin comparison with Kobe though, I disagree. Shaq was the SUPERMAN to Kobe's Batman during their time together.
Yeah that comparison is so much better send Shaq loves Superman, remember he even has a Superman tattoo on his shoulder
@@ikedatike2533 Exactly! Plus Shaq is almost superhuman when you consider his size and strength. Whereas Kobe relied on his skill and strategy.
@@facelessandnameless hell yeah, those boys were two alphas
The knock on Shaq's longevity is probably more the fact that his absolute peak was as short as it was (1999-2003), but he was the best player I've ever seen during it, MJ, LeBron, Kobe and whoever you like included. It's definitely more a nitpick than anything though, even if that was a short peak he was very good before and after. The list of players who have scored 20+ on 60% from the field is short and he did that his first 2 years with the heat, he was still an all star on the Suns and a quality starter for the Cavs, and he played 19 years. Obviously he was still pretty darn good prior to '99 too. 😊