Shaquille O’Neal is widely regarded as the most dominant player in NBA history as his blend of size, strength, speed, agility and instincts made him impossible to defend.
O’Neal powered the Los Angeles Lakers to a “three-peat” from 2000-2002, winning the Finals MVP all three times and establishing himself as the undisputed best player in the league.
However, there is some disagreement on whether or not Shaq would be able to be as effective in the current era of pace and space. Despite the differences in styles, O’Neal said he would love to play in today’s NBA and believes he would still be dominant, via the “New Heights” podcast:
“I would definitely love to play in this era. I would still bring the football pain and I would be different. I be watching these podcasts, ‘Oh, Shaq couldn’t play in this era. He couldn’t guard the 3.’ It would be simple. As soon as Joker shoots a 3, I’m gonna run right past him and I’m going to post up in the lane for 100 seconds. So if you hit the 3, good, but I know by the time we get the ball and throw it down I’m definitely going to hit the 2. I’m going to make more 2s than you hit 3s, so I will probably only shoot a 3 like if we got up but I would not go away from my strength. My strength is power and height, so I’m going to take the high-percentage shots because if I’m averaging 30 it’s an easy job for my agent. If I’m standing out there shooting 3s and averaging 15 that’s a tough job but if I’m averaging 30 scoring a lot of points then my agent can say, ‘Hey, Rudy Gobert got 250 me and Shaq, we want 700. We want 700.’”
Teams today may emphasize 3-pointers, but shots at the rim are even more valuable and O’Neal could generate those in spades if he played today. There was no player back then who could single cover O’Neal and there certainly isn’t anyone now who could do either.
Ironically enough, former Phoenix Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni credited O’Neal for revolutionizing his team’s offense because there was no way for teams to match him in the same ways. Shaq’s peak evolved the game into what it is today but he could definitely survive in this era.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looking to be first to accomplish feat since Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a historic 2024-25 season where he finished as the scoring champion and was named the regular season MVP. Now, Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to become the first player since Shaquille O’Neal to win a scoring title, MVP and championship in the same season. Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
