Only reason Shaq EVER gets the best of Dream is cuz of overall size and youth. You put Dreams obviously superior intellect and work habits in Shaq's younger,larger body;there's no contest. Or try it the other way around....and you get a something that reminds me of Olden Polynice.
I think Shaq gets better stats in a game vs. Dream (but Shaq has always put up big numbers), however I don't know about who is a better player. Shaq would get his 25 pts, 15 boards and Dream may have less but I think Dream in his prime had a perfect team around him, lot of shooters who could flat out stroke it, and aggressive defenders who knew if they were beat that Dream was their to cover their a$$. Scarily enough it seems like the old Russell-Chamberlain comparisons. Wilt put up huge numbers and the press loved him. Wilt liked the press and they gave him plenty of attention. Russell, like Dream, was a quieter player (on and off the court) who was a winner. Take your pick, Shaq & Dream will both go down as great centers, and who knows Shaq has a chance to get a few rings in the next couple of years.
i agree with DreamStillKills... hakeem had so much game back then... it was SCARY and so pretty to watch... ... my vote goes to Hakeem
If they were in their prime, I don't think either one could stop the other. Shaq's game is coming around. He can go down as the most dominating (note, not the most skilled, agile, versatile etc., but the most dominating) center since Wilt. He can be more unstoppable than Hakeem was. I'm not sure if he's there yet, though. The only thing that seems to be able to stop him is that FT line. ------------------ <this space for rent>
As mentioned in a related thread, you have to consider defense too. Shaq is an outstanding defensive presense, but Hakeem or Russell has to be considered the strongest defensive force to ever play BB. What most people seem to forget though, is the Shaq if 94 or 95 (not 2000) was still best guy in the league to play Hakeem. Hakeem was significantly better, but Shaq could offset him a million times better than Robinson could, and better than Ewing too (who has the 3rd most effective guy against himn back then). So Shaq even in 95 was your best shot mano-a-mano against Hakeem. I would still take the Hakeem of 95 over the 2000 Shaq any day, not that it couldn't be a tougher call by 2002--we will just have to see.
4chuckie, It helped that Russell had 4-5 HOFers on his team.Wilt generally killed Russell head to head,but Russell got more help from his teamates.
Hakeem would probably win that matchup. I am sure though, that Shaq would also have a great game against Hakeem. Back then, Hakeem had a lot of stamina so he could just keep shaking and baking Shaq. And if the jump hook and spin didn't work, then he could just fadeway and score easily. Plus, Shaq couldn't(and still can't) shoot free throwz.
Watching Shaq play these days is down right scary. Yesterday against the Kings, he had 39 points and 20 rebounds. This man is a beast on the court. Completely unstoppable. Without a doubt Shaq is the MVP of the league. No one can come close. When the Rockets reached the finals in 1995 against the Orlando Magic, Hakeem got the better of Shaq. Hakeem was magnificent in that series. But my question is who do you think would have won that series if Shaq 2000 was present? Do you still think Olajuwon would have gotten the better of Shaq? Even back then Shaq was a dominant force, but Hakeem was quick as lightning, very athletic, and most importantly motivated. However, I think that Hakeem of 95 could not stop Shaq 2000 and the Orlando Magic if they were to meet magically in some far off fantasy world.
Hakeem had so much game back then, its scary. Shaq still does the same thing he did back then, just pound it in. I think Hakeem would kill him hands down.
Dirt- That is essentially my point, sort of. If you take Wilt and Rurrell and swith their teams (Philly (then LA) and Boston) what would happen. Surely they would still have been great teams, but noone knows for sure if Wilt and the Celtics could be as dominating as Russell & the Celtics. Russell w/out question made his teammates better, did Wilt do the same thing? That is tough to say. From a statistical perspective Wilt was surely the most Dominating NBA player to this point, but it is tough to compare him individually to a Russell led Celtic dynasty. Unquestinably they were both great players (just like Dream and Shaq)and it is tough to say how they may have fared in different surroundings.
It doesn't work. I have Nba Jam(from 95) and NBA shoot out 2000, and it just doesnt work. They wont play against each other; DAMNIT!! What's the use? *sigh* But I'll say this - Hakeem jumps a lot higher and dunks a lot harder than Shaq. Whoa!!! he just broke the backboard! BOOOMMM SHAKALAKA ------------------ "Whooaa." - Ted
