Joel Embiid Says He Could Handle Hakeem Olajuwon But Dealing With Shaquille O’Neal Would Be Troublesome

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is a two-time scoring champion and among the most skilled players in the NBA. He can operate in high and low posts and make deep-range jumpers. His offensive game is reminiscent of Hakeem Olajuwon, but the Hall of Famer is also among the best defensive players ever. A match-up between the two would be thrilling. But Embiid doesn’t believe it’d be competitive. 

During an appearance on the debut episode of The Check Ball Show podcast, co-host, and NBA skills coach Drew Hanlen asked him who would be a tougher match-up between Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O’Neal in a one-on-one battle and a five-on-five game. 

Embiid replied that he’d have trouble facing the Lakers icon but the two-time Finals MVP won’t pose a threat. The 76ers superstar said,

“Shaq with his size and you know weight [would be more troublesome]… I think I’ll be fine with Hakeem on defense.”

Embiid then pointed to O’Neal’s agility during his Orlando Magic days and claimed the center’s strength and speed would make him a nightmare to play against. He also admitted that the Lakers’ version of Shaq was no less intimidating as his massive physique was indomitable and his skillset became even more refined.

Embiid giving the three-time Finals MVP an edge over him on the court is understandable. However, Olajuwon’s post-moves would have kept him guessing too. Apart from that, the Rockets icon was inarguably a better defender than O’Neal. He could close the perimeter while protecting the paint.

This is one of the reasons why Embiid took some time before settling on who would have been a tougher match-up. Both players have strong cases as they are among two of the best players to hit the hardwood. However, the 76ers superstar believes O’Neal’s size, speed, strength, and bruising playing style would be too much for him to handle.

But it’s worth noting that when the two Hall of Famers faced off in the NBA Finals, the Rockets swept the Magic and Olajuwon won Finals MVP. Perhaps Embiid is underestimating the Dream’s a bit.