Shaq vs. Olajuwon

Well, if you post a pull like "who is better?Kobe or Jordon", Kobe might win on Lakers board, but nowhere else. Same thing applies to this topic, Shaq will win outside ccnet I guess.

 

Shaq 27 points 12 rebounds, 2.61 blocks, 57.6 fg% for career
Dream 22 pints 11 rebounds, 3.18 blocks, 51.8 Fg% for career.

Take off the red tinted shades, just like another poster said, Olajuwon only wins this debate on this website.

 

Shaq openly admitted that Hakeem destroyed him. it's even in his book. There's no debate. Shaq said he got trashed, and he got trashed.

Hakeem in his prime vs Shaq in his prime? Shaq in his prime was not last season, but the one before. Hakeem in his prime couldn't beat that? Are you kidding me?

Let's see Shaq stop these moves

Watch that video, and tell me Shaq can stop those moves. Robinson is much quicker than Shaq, and do you remember this:

"Robinson is saying, What must I do?"

I find it hard to believe you followed the Rockets and say Hakeem in his prime couldn't beat Shaq in his prime.

The Lakers play in LA, and that's why Shaq will go down in history as bigger and better. But the media doesn't decide who's better, the players do. Shaq has spoken.

 

But if other posters are right(that the competition makes a difference), then these stats don't mean as much.

 

U got to be kidding me. The reason why Shaq has better career number is because there are no true center left. Hakeem would have average 30pts, 15 rebs, 4 blks, 5 assist in a game if there are no true centers left. Hakeem had to face Moses Malone, Kareem, Ewing, and Robinson, whom are the top 50 players of all time.

 

What I respect most about Hakeem is that when he came into the league, he was a bad boy himslef. Getting technicals everytime, getting tossed out (he was in the locker room when Sampson made that catch and toss shot against the Lakers in the '86 conference finals) and he beat the crap out of Dennis Johnson in a brawl during the Finals against the Celtics that year. But he became a gentle man, mostly due to his faith in TRUE Islam (not that Al Queda bulls*&t) and he carried himself with dignity and class on and off the court. Skill-wise, no doubt the best versatile center ever to play the game. But I think people see the graceful and kind side of Yao that's comparable to Hakeem.

 

If stats don't mean as much, or rings don't mean as much, I can say that Olawkandi is the best center ever, how else are we supposed to judge this argument?

 

The 5 greatest centers of all time are Wilt, Russell, Kareem, Hakeem, and Shaq. In my opinion Bill Russell played on a great team and was a dominant big man, but b/c of his limited offensive abilities he drops a notch in my mind. Wilt put up the sickest numbers of the bunch, and a young Kareem was nearly unstoppable, as is Shaq right now. So if you want a pot head center, you take Kareem, if you want an overpowering big man you take Shaq, if you want a man's man you take Wilt, but if you want poetry in motion you take Hakeem. Personally, i'm all about the beauty in Hakeem's game.

 

Folks Shaq is already regarded as a better center than Dream. Look back to the articles of the great Centers and Shaq is mentioned more often in Wilt's and Russel's class than Dream.

Honestly I don't know who was a better player in their primes but Shaq has some things going for him that Dream never had:
1. Shaq is very likeable (lot of endorsements, big smile, etc)
2. Shaq plays in LA
3. Shaq is an entertaining person (people like to listen to him even off the court)

Again maybe Dream was a better player but Shaq is perceived by 95% of the public as better then Dream. Just like 95% of Rocket fans think Dream is better, if you go outside Houston and the Rockets circle you will find most people belive Shaq is better.

 

I didnt say stats don't mean much. What i'm saying is that, the numbers are deceiving because the level of competition are different in different times. Shaq's career number would have been lower if he plays in the 80s. It's like comparing Bob Cousy to Gary Payton. Wouldnt Payton career be better if he plays in Cousy era?

 

pgabriel,

You are being unreasonable. Stats and rings mean something. But they are not the whole picture. This is all the other posters are trying to tell you. You cannot just throw the numbers out and say this player is better than that players because he has better numbers. The numbers has to be seen in the context of a lot of other things.

How else are we supposed to judge this argument? Well, by watching them play. Someone has posted a video clip. You still haven't answered the question: Could Shaq stop those Dream moves?

Yes, judging players is a pretty subjective thing. That's why questions like this can never be decisively settled. But to say that Shaq has better numbers and more rings is reason enough to judge his greatness, then that is just to simple-minded.

By the way, Robert Horry has more rings than Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and Karl Malone combined. Do you think he's a better player than those three?

 

Robert Horry doesn't have better numbers than those guys in any category, not even close. Shaq, more rings, better numbers.

 

he also lost his finals matchup with Dream. Don't forget that.
As far as direct evidence, thats pretty good right there.

 

Olajuwon was in his prime, O'Neal was in his second year and only 21. Also I think their numbers were comparable and O'neil's may have been slightly better.

 

I actually think Shaq was a better player in his Orlando days. Go back and try to find some tapes, the guy was a ****ing monster.

Some of you seem to be forgetting how quick Hakeem was in his prime.

 

Fact remains, Shaq had as much if not more help from his team in those finals than Hakeem did. Hakeem won that. In fact Hakeem dominated Robinson and Shaq in those playoffs in a SWEEP of Orlando. Not even close.

 

Whose the better player, Drexler or Hardaway, beyond that we had Kenny Smith, Horry, Cassell, and Ellie. Who else for Orlando, Nick Anderson, Brian Shaw, the only other player who had a significant advantage at another position was Horace Grant.

 

back than Penny was better than Drexler. Kenny Smith, Horry and Cassell are not quite as good as Nick Anderson, Dennis Scott and Horace Grant. Anderson, Scott and Grant were all still very valuable guys back than. At the least you could call it even.
So why did the Rockets flat out destroy them in that series?? Hmmm