Shaq retires. Where does he rank all-time?

[Uman85]

We all know Shaq is obviously a hall-of-famer, but where does he rank all-time?

 

[CODE_BLUE56]

top 10 probably around 8-15

 

[PrideisBears]

We talking all time for Centers or players period? If Centers he is definitely top 5, players top 20 imo

 

[Uman85]

We talking all time for Centers or players period? If Centers he is definitely top 5, players top 20 imo

All-time players, I'll say. I'd agree Top 20.

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

I'd say he's definitely in the top 10 players. The only centers I'd put ahead of him are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell.

 

[AE23]

****, thats a good one, def top 5 C. Id say Top 12. he was dominating, unstoppable, besides Mike, growing up he was my fav. Hes up there.

 

[james k]

Most dominant force in the paint of the 1990s and early 2000s, probably one of the top 15 players of all time. If he and Kobe could have put their differences aside, he might have ended up higher on the list.

 

[Glide2keva]

He's top 10 easily. If people are trying to put Kobe in the top 10, Shaq definitely deserves it.

No one dominated the way he did.

 

[poodski]

I would probably put him somewhere around the 9th best player of all time.

I think a few current players will end up above him but for now 9thish.

 

[Chi-Town Brahma]

Shaq has always been a personal favorite of mine. I always wished he would dawn a Bulls jersey. That possibility last summer of him being a Bull over being a Celtic or a Hawk had me on the edge of my seat. No, he wouldn't have ended up being a super great addition with the way his final season played out.....but he would have done great with Thibs due to his type of personality.

We'll miss ya Shaq! Have a nice ride into the sunset, 'Big Retiree'!

 

[Chi-Town Brahma]

Shaq has always been a personal favorite of mine. I always wished he would dawn a Bulls jersey. That possibility last summer of him being a Bull over being a Celtic or a Hawk had me on the edge of my seat. No, he wouldn't have ended up being a super great addition with the way his final season played out.....but he would have done great with Thibs due to his type of personality.

We'll miss ya Shaq! Have a nice ride into the sunset, 'Big Retiree'!

 

[FirstTimer]

I'd say he's definitely in the top 10 players. The only centers I'd put ahead of him are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell.

You have 5 centers in your all time Top 10 players?

Wut?

 

[houheffna]

I'd say he's definitely in the top 10 players. The only centers I'd put ahead of him are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell.

I'm not putting Russell ahead of Shaq...as far as MVPs, I saw that brought up...you can't legitimize one player's superiority over another with MVPs. Especially if the two players didn't play in the same era.

 

[houheffna]

That wasn't my point. Someone said that no one dominated the way Shaq did, yet Shaq won only 1 MVP award in 18 seasons while Moses Malone won 3 MVP's in a 5-year span. Maybe my definition of "domination" is different than most people's?

And LOL at not putting Russell ahead of Shaq. Why?

Russell is not a better player than Shaq was...I don't think Russell dominates any era the way Shaq would have.

 

[houheffna]

Shaq = 1 MVP in 18 years

Russell = 5 MVP's in 8 years

Okay, and what did I say about people winning MVPs when it was black and white outside???

Shaq was about 100 pounds bigger than Russell, he would have ate him alive...

 

[FirstTimer]

I'm not putting Russell ahead of Shaq...as far as MVPs, I saw that brought up...you can't legitimize one player's superiority over another with MVPs. Especially if the two players didn't play in the same era.

Okay, and what did I say about people winning MVPs when it was black and white outside???

Shaq was about 100 pounds bigger than Russell, he would have ate him alive...

That's kind of a hypocritcal stance IMO.

 

[houheffna]

That's kind of a hypocritcal stance IMO.

Absolutely not...just as in football, I have to explain to people why Lewis is better than Butkus...same thing here. if you are asking who is the better basketball player, I am not taking a guy with Russell's skill package over Shaq's...not happening. I would still take Wilt over Shaq and Kareem, maybe even Hakeem and Moses, but Russell? No...not at all...

 

[FirstTimer]

Absolutely not...just as in football, I have to explain to people why Lewis is better than Butkus...same thing here. if you are asking who is the better basketball player, I am not taking a guy with Russell's skill package over Shaq's...not happening. I would still take Wilt over Shaq and Kareem, maybe even Hakeem and Moses, but Russell? No...not at all...

I don't think it's fair to try and compare players across era. Especially in basketball. IMO IF you match prime Shaq up with a prime Wilt, Shaq physically dominates him. Russell's skill set worked for the time in which he played. The game was tought differently then and Russell was kind of a pioneer in certain ways as well. To ignore the advantage Shaq had in an era to era matchup with guys before him based on trainings, the way the game was tought, played etc I think doesn't really hold up.

As for Butkus and Lewis I will just say I disagree fully.

 

[houheffna]

But I would guess that if Russell had been playing for the last 18 years, he would have won 1 MVP, which would thus equal Shaq's "dominance" for this era.

MVPs alone does not at all show the dominance of a player...Shaq was the best player in the league for longer than 1 year...Hakeem Olajuwan only won 1 award...so he is not as dominant a player as...Steve Nash or Karl Malone? I disagree...

 

[houheffna]

I don't think it's fair to try and compare players across era. Especially in basketball. IMO IF you match prime Shaq up with a prime Wilt, Shaq physically dominates him. Russell's skill set worked for the time in which he played. The game was tought differently then and Russell was kind of a pioneer in certain ways as well. To ignore the advantage Shaq had in an era to era matchup with guys before him based on trainings, the way the game was tought, played etc I think doesn't really hold up.

As for Butkus and Lewis I will just say I disagree fully.

I don't think Shaq dominates Wilt..he didn't dominate Hakeem, who was smaller than Wilt. Wilt was as athletic as any big man in history...I don't believe any big man dominates him like that...