Better Player.....Shaq or Hakeem??

[Box Factory]

Here's a quote from the Houston chronicle...


And then they was supposed to settle this heads up like men but guess who backed down...


Details here
OLAJUWON WON'T DUEL WITH SHAQ

But hey, it sounded good in our memories that Hakeem was better. But nah. Maybe better going out the door than Shaq was but that's it

Wheres the link to that quote. You put it together like theyre talking about just one series when clearly the second part of the quote is about when they met in 99 in the playoffs.

 

[Texas2step]

Shaq took 3 different teams to the finals in 3 stages of his career (young, prime, vet). Shaq by a large margin.

And all three teams just happen to have the best guards in the league at the time and 2 of then happen to in the top 5 SG ever

 

[Hacksaw Jim Thuggin]

Eh...Hakeem was an elite player and possibly the most skilled to ever play but...

Dude was having a lot of trouble getting to the finals. After his 2nd year, dude was lucky to reach the conference finals because he was usually get waxed in the first round until his 30s.

shytty teams...that wasnt his fault....

plus back then the lakers ran the west

 

[Texas2step]

When Hakeem retired, he was top 10 in in points, rebounds, steals, and blocks. Btw he is number 1 in blocks and top 10 in steals and there isn't another big man in the top 50 in steals. Hakeem was waaay better on Defense and Shaq only average 1 point more than Hakeem even with all of Shaq dominance in a L with no centers

 

[TrebleMan]

I'm taking Shaq. Unstoppable one on one really.

Again according to other NBA players if refs called the games how they were supposed to Shaq would've fouled out the other team's entire court court by the first half.

The 6 Toughest Players I’ve Ever Guarded | The Players' Tribune

Honestly, Shaq could have earned a foul call on pretty much every play of his career. I mean, the only way to guard the guy was to either push or hold him, which was usually considered a foul. It’s almost like he was being punished for being stronger than his opponents. If a defender stood in there and took the hit, he could draw the foul on Shaq. Sometimes being the loser in a battle for position was rewarded.

But refs couldn’t call games with Shaq the same way they called other games. They just couldn’t. Opposing teams would have fouled out all of their big men by the middle of the second quarter.

Shaq + shooters is a constant contender.

 

[Supreme365]

Who higher on yall all time list

and who would you draft?

And a poll

 

[Draje]

shytty teams...that wasnt his fault....

plus back then the lakers ran the west

No star gets that benefit of the doubt like that. Maybe if he was getting waxed in the finals or conf finals but first round?

 

[Supreme365]

Well on defense it aint close....dream is on the short list of the best defenders ever...shaq not so much

Eh...Hakeem was an elite player and possibly the most skilled to ever play but...

Dude was having a lot of trouble getting to the finals. After his 2nd year, dude was lucky to reach the conference finals because he was usually get waxed in the first round until his 30s.

Give him penny,d Scott,grant,nick van exel,Eddie jones,Kobe,glen rice, and wade throughout his prime and in sure his teams would've had more playoff success

 

[FTBS]

Dream was better on defense and did more with less. You give him Penny, Van Exel and Jones, Kobe, and Wade in succession in that era and he has 7 or 8 rings. It's hilarious how Shaq gets the Paul Bunyan treatment despite getting swept every year until all his comp retired/got flabby and always having a ridiculous amount of help. Shaq was a beast but he had some of that Mike Tyson bully shyt in him. Sure he dominated the likes of Todd McCullah and Rik Smits and Vlade but when matched up with someone that could go right back at his ass it was a different story. Dream on the other hand played his best when challenged.

 

[Supreme365]

That he was getting waxed in the first round? Superstars and ATG get held to different standards, breh. I'm not talking winning championships, I'm talking about getting out of the West or the first round.

When the lakers broke up kobe missed the playoffs and then lost in the first round two consecutive times one being after blowing a 3-1 lead doesn't make him any less of a player

 

[nieman]

Dream was better than Shaq. And while Shaq was more dominant, Dream was more crafty. Dream still has the only quad-double....2 of them...no matter what the books say.

The irony is that young Shaq was raw in footwork, but was quick, agile, and actually played defense, but once he got the footwork and a post game, he got lazy everywhere else. He rarely tried on defense after that. Hardly tried to rebound, didn't run the floor as much. Once his comp was out of there 98-99, he knew he didn't have to work hard. Patrick used to work him out, Admiral, Dream...they schooled him, but schooled him.

Actually, I have Moses listed ahead of Shaq as well. Moses gets no love

 

[feelosofer]

Shaq was more dominant offensively but in all honesty he actually underachieved somewhat.

Hakeem had a good jumpshot, a full suite of post moves, was a better defender and a comparable rebounder. Had Ralph Sampson not been crippled by knee injuries early in his career, he would probably have another 2 rings.

 

[acbjr22]

I hate this whole "skill" argument. How skilled are you if all those skills don't lead you to being more productive/dominant that a supposedly less skilled player?

 

[MooseMouthMthafuga]

I'd take '94/'95 Olajuwon over anybody not named Michael Jordan

 

[inndaskKy]

I hate this whole "skill" argument. How skilled are you if all those skills don't lead you to being more productive/dominant that a supposedly less skilled player?

How dominant are you if you never came even remotely close to touching Wilt's numbers?