The numbers Shaq put up against Deke and Dream(2 of the 3 best defensive player in the history of the nba) in the finals speak for themselves. Shaq in his prime could not be stopped by anyone even when the double and triple teams came. Lebron is not even as physically gifted as Dream. Imagine if Dream learned how to play basketball earlier in life.
Thank you, they are really missing the point of the question. Wilt was not as 'big' as Shag. Tall yes, but not weight and mass wise.
considerin Shaq was in dunk contest and put up the most freakish games in playoff history, don´t forget his birthday game... :grin:
The question is not about talent, or how many rings they won. Anybody can count rings. No need to waste a thread to ask who has more rings.
and yet you guys accusing china for bio engineered Yao Ming, while all these frankensteins are actually around you.
I'd put Dwight in the discussion for sure. But like some other poster said, the hops on Howard is ridiculous, but Shaq just had better strength (imo) and had tbe quickness many wings desire.
I'll go with Shaq. I've seen guys closer to Lebron in athleticism than I have seen to Shaq. I also think we will see another Lebron (athleticism wise) than we will Shaq.
i'll pick shaq because his raw power was just so incredible, but why do people keep saying this in this thread? shaq was the most phyiscally imposing center ever with agility that anybody short of hakeem and drob would be happy to have, but he certainly wasn't the most athletic. he was just amazingly athletic for his size and strength. lebron is the most physically imposing perimeter player ever (he's 260 lbs and i'm trying to think of any perimeter guy besides artest who was listed over 230) and he isn't just explosive, he's the most explosive player ever. wade and MJ might be the closest** and neither came within 40 pounds of lebron. there's a reason his chase down blocks are so incredible, because no one is supposed to be able to catch up to elite nba players and actually make the offensive player the guy who is in trouble on a 1 on 1 fastbreak. just like no one should be able to throw 250 lb centers around like ragdolls. so ultimately i'll go with shaq, but nobody is close to either of them. **vince carter i think of as pure athleticism without quite the explosion (which requires power as well) of those 2.
There are players who are built like LeBron and have the athleticism. What separates LeBron with these other guys is skill. Most of those guys do not have the handle to drive from the top of the key to the basket, that's why you don't see their explosiveness. I'd say Dwight Howard would probably as physically imposing as LeBron, if Howard had LeBron's handle.
I'll make this as simple as possible. NBA players were a billion times more AFRAID of guarding shaq than they were of guarding lebron. For his size and mass shaq was incredibly athletic and nimble. Heck, the NBA changed the rules cause shaq was so dominating. Back in his prime, shaq would pivot and some poor defender would catch his elbow in his throat and it would be a legal play but now it is almost always an offensive foul. Also the invention of hack-a-shaq and no more Illegal defense.
Pretty much this. Lebron is a physical freak, he's big, strong, and fast, but it's his skillset that sets him apart. His ability to handle the ball while going that fast, his vision and playmaking abilities combined with that incredible frame. But Shaq's physicality is what propelled him to be so dominant. He is a skilled player as well, but it's kinda like the opposite of Lebron. Lebron is like 60/40 Skill/Body Shaq is like 70/30 Body/Skill
As a physical specimen, I would have to go with LBJ over Shaq. Shaq was just massive and he used that to his advantage very well. I find it strange that you are only comparing Shaq and LBJ though. What about players like Magic, Barkley, or Dream? Magic had a similar body to structure to LBJ. Barkley was this midget 4 who could out jump damn near everyone. Dream was a perfect balance of speed, agility, and strength. In my opinion, Dream is the most remarkable specimen the NBA has had since Wilt.
