Shaquille O’Neal was a dominant force as anyone back in his prime, perhaps even the most dominant player to have played. He believes that he would thrive in this era too.
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The Lakers center showcased his massive strength when he played in the NBA in a way that players hadn’t seen before. Sure, there had been several legendary centers before Shaq, but Shaq was different.
Wilt, Kareem, Hakeem, Moses Malone, Ewing, and several others had already grazed the plains before Shaq arrived to the scene, but none of them had his build.
Shaq was massive. He was huge. You couldn’t contain him one-on-one no matter how hard you tried. However, more than just being a big, physical presence, he was quick. His footwork was perfect, and he couldn’t be rattled down low. It’s what made him so good because he knew how to combine size, speed, and precision in an impeccable way.
Shaquille O’Neal explains how he’d dominate today’s game
Whenever former players talk about today’s era, they seem to have very extreme opinions. For one, they either completely diss a current-day great, or they say they would absolutely destroy in today’s league.
Of course, there’s no way to know for sure, but it is fun to think about. Shaq had the same opinion. He feels like with the way he used to play, he would absolutely dominate, even without a jump shot. From The Ringer:
“Because it’s soft, and I stand by what I say when I say it. If you’re a big guy—like, 7 foot and 300 pounds—and you want to shoot jumpers and then wonder why you’re not winning, there it is.”
“You have to take advantage of your athleticism and size; the more you do that, the more success you’ll have. And then everyone is a follower. I would average 60 points per game in this league and let me tell you why: I’m not shootin’ no muf*ckin’ jumpers—not one. I’m gonna run to the middle of the lane every muf*ckin’ time—oh, sorry, my momma is here [laughs].”
“I’m gonna run to the hole every time, they’re gonna have to call 100 three-second violations, but I’m getting layups and dunks. Every time you shoot a three and miss, I’m gonna run right by you, be the first guy down the floor and get easy buckets.”
“And you can’t flagrant foul like you used to, so I’m gonna go to the line a lot. I would average 50—and I’d be the highest paid in the league.”
Shaq believes he can take on the likes of Stephen Curry
Shaq essentially believes he’d outscore and outearn players like Stephen Curry who’ve built their games on the jumper and three-point game. Curry revolutionized the current era with his shooting, but even then, Shaq believes that his game would be far superior.
He also believes he’d be paid more. Currently, Curry cashes in checks of $48 million every year on average. So, Shaq definitely believes he’s worth more $50-55 million.
We don’t see centers play the way Shaq used to. The closest center to Shaq right now is probably Joel Embiid, and even he’s expanded his game to include a jump shot and somewhat of a three-point game.
Jokic is the other best center in the league right now, and his game is completely different than Shaq’s. Jokic is a facilitator and a mid-range shooter.
Simply put, we haven’t seen someone like Shaq in a long time, and it may be because of the way the league is structured around the three-point game.
