What Makes Shaq great - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Nash13 · 01-10-2003, 03:46 PM

To me, there is no quality in Shaq that's great. When Wilt Chamberlain dominated, he also shot from outside the paint. When Bill Russell blocked Shots, he blocked outside the paint. Face it, all other players that's been considered dominant had some game outside the paint. Shaq doesn't.

Murphy3 · 01-10-2003, 03:48 PM

wilt chamberlain didn't stray too far from the basket...who would win a FT shooting contest..wilt or shaq?

i guess you might say that shaq has no singular dominant move but to question how dominant he has been during his career isn't smart

Nash13 · 01-10-2003, 04:16 PM

to me, Shaq is an overweight person who can dunk the ball. He would not exist if he was playing 25 yrs ago

Dooby · 01-10-2003, 04:17 PM

What makes Shaq great is his big, fat ass, which he uses to push people out of the way (or, as I like to put it-continually charge) until he is under the basket so he can dunk it.

NYMavFan · 01-10-2003, 04:19 PM

i agree with dooby. his ass is like barkley's ass on steroids.

Big Boy Laroux · 01-10-2003, 05:49 PM

in my best bill walton voice:

"shaquille has the fastest, best spin move on the post in the history of the game"

he actually said that in a game.

i was like... "uhhh... hakeem?"

Usually Lurkin · 01-10-2003, 06:27 PM

In my best Bill Walton

Shaq's butt ranks up there with the all time best. Andre the Giant, Jennifer Lopez,
Shades of Taro Akebono the great sumo champion from Hawaii. Its a virtual ballet on the court the way Shaqs butt of beauty pushes and spins, floating through the air with the greatest of ease. This butt is the present and future of basketball as we know it. If only the great Dr. J. had had a butt like that, he might have been able to make some headway against my own awe-inspiring greatful dead like play in the great finals series of 1977 that defined what basketball is for an entire generation . . .

10 minutes later

. . . take the Dallas Mavericks for example. There is a near elite team that will not, nay, cannot advance in the playoffs because of the conspicuous absence of a great butt.

MavKikiNYC · 01-10-2003, 06:34 PM

What Makes Shaq great:

NBA Marketing.

Murphy3 · 01-10-2003, 06:49 PM

shaq would, without a doubt, average 35+ a game 25-30 years ago.

he would average 30+ year in and year out if kobe wouldn't as big of a ball hog as he is
and yes, shaq does have a very nice spin move.

..the guy shoots the ball at an amazing clip..just think about it for a second, regardless of whether or not most of them are dunks you have to give the guy credit.

if you do not do that, then you are looking with very blind eyes because of your personal dislike for the guy

Nash13 · 01-10-2003, 09:43 PM

I personally like the guy. The problem is there is no outside-the-paint game for Shaq. That's why I think Dallas can take the Lakers easy in a playoff game b/c either Raef or Dirk will bring him to the 3point arc which takes him away from the post.

Chiwas · 01-10-2003, 10:13 PM

Finley just said that they can´t stop Shaq, but can score more with the new TAW. That's, the weapon against Shaq is to avoid Shaq, then the thing that makes Shaq great is: the bulk. (And the NBA and the refs)

Drbio · 01-10-2003, 10:59 PM

I don't think Shaq would dominate the game 25 years ago....only because back then they called the charge and fouls that Shaq constantly gets away with today. If the calls went the same way then as now he would be a beast then too.

LRB · 01-11-2003, 12:02 AM

I agree with Doc. Shaq wouldn't be great 25 years ago and wouldn't be great now if he wasn't given a free pass on 95% of the charges, offensive fouls, and over the back violations he commits.

BTW did you hear about the new fan club for Shaq?

Yeah, its called Weight Watchers.

Did you hear about the new Soap Opera staring Shaq.

As the ASS turns.

But best of all, now thanks to Shaq and his ass the San Andreas fault is not the biggest crack in California. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

OutletPass · 01-11-2003, 12:27 AM

Chamberlain didn't stray far from the basket ?

You're kidding, right.

One of his staples was the fade away, turn around jumper from the left side off of the glass.

Hell, I still see that shot in my dreams.

Time to wake up there, Murph. Nash13's got you on that one.

LRB · 01-11-2003, 01:42 AM

<< Chamberlain didn't stray far from the basket ?

You're kidding, right.

One of his staples was the fade away, turn around jumper from the left side off of the glass.

Hell, I still see that shot in my dreams.

Time to wake up there, Murph. Nash13's got you on that one. >>

Hey OP you're not being fair to Shaq. If Shaq took a turn around jumper from the 3pt line he would still technically be starting off in the paint considering the size of his ass. Give the Big Buttocks a break here. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

MFFL · 01-11-2003, 09:17 AM

<< who would win a FT shooting contest..wilt or shaq? >>

Shaq .536 - Wilt .511

Not that different.

Of course the Stilt averaged 4.4 assists, Shaq 2.8; the Stilt averaged 22.9 rebounds, Shaq 12.2

But the amazing stat: Wilt Chamberlain averaged 45.8 minutes per game FOR HIS CAREER. Shaq logs 37.7

Shaq has more personal fouls called in him in the first 9 years of his career than Stilt did for his entire 14 year career.

Murphy3 · 01-11-2003, 09:42 PM

one thing..the NBA is much bigger and more physical now compared to wilt's time..just watch a game tape and it's very easy to see

shaq totally dominates similar to what wilt if shaq were playing at the same time.

does wilt dominate in today's nba?... he might put up numbers similar to shaq.

did wilt stray far from the basket?..no, not really. yes, he did have a nice little turn around but no, but don't act as if he had an outside game at all

Murphy3 · 01-11-2003, 09:43 PM

some of your are suffering from gold old day synderome..and some of the others are suffering from not being able to think objectively because of your hatred for shaq

LRB · 01-11-2003, 09:44 PM

Ah but what if Wilt was in the NBA today and had grown up with Holger as a coach and mentor? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

LRB · 01-11-2003, 10:01 PM

<< some of your are suffering from gold old day synderome..and some of the others are suffering from not being able to think objectively because of your hatred for shaq >>

Yeah Murph, no way a guy 7'1", muscular even by today's standards, and able to touch the top of the back board with 2 hands jumping without a running start would ever be able to dominate in today's NBA. I doubt that Wilt would have put up as good as number as he did in the old days, but to say that he couldn't dominate just because he started his playing career over 40 years ago is mere supposition.

MFFL · 01-12-2003, 02:19 AM

<< one thing..the NBA is much bigger and more physical now compared to wilt's time..just watch a game tape and it's very easy to see >>

That comment is total bs. There are less decent centers in the game TODAY than at any time in my memory. Who is the second best center? Is that player even a top 25 player?

And the league wasn't as player friendly back then. The schedule was far more compressed than it is today: Wilt’s team one year played on back-to-back dates 13 times, plus back-to-back-to-back dates eight times, plus back-to-back-to-back-to-back dates twice -- and, oh yes, once in mid-January they played five games on five consecutive dates, bouncing from Detroit to Philly to Boston back to Philly and then to Utica, N.Y.

<< shaq totally dominates similar to what wilt if shaq were playing at the same time. >>

Not a chance. The rules of the game were changed to DOWNGRADE Wilt's effectiveness. A wider free throw lane was one way the league tried to stop Wilt. There has never been anything by the league to slow Shaq down.

<< does wilt dominate in today's nba?... he might put up numbers similar to shaq. >>

Wilt never had a season where he had less than 18 rebounds a game and his assists were much higher. Wilt is the better player.

MFFL · 01-12-2003, 02:21 AM

<< Yeah Murph, no way a guy 7'1", muscular even by today's standards, and able to touch the top of the back board with 2 hands jumping without a running start would ever be able to dominate in today's NBA. >>

That leaping ability forced the league to do ANOTHER rule change - the prohibition of throwing the ball inbound over the goal to a player.

MFFL · 01-12-2003, 02:23 AM

<< some of your are suffering from gold old day synderome..and some of the others are suffering from not being able to think objectively because of your hatred for shaq >>

I think you are suffering for the "present day syndrome" where the best players of all time have all played recently.

LRB · 01-12-2003, 02:24 AM

MFFL: Wasn't there another rule change with shooting FT's for Wilt so he couldn't get his own FT miss and dunk it as easy?

MFFL · 01-12-2003, 02:26 AM

Yes. The rule was changed so the ball has to hit the rim. The rules for offensive goaltending were also changed to today's rules to try and slow down Wilt.

Wilt was a force of nature who defined the center position.

LRB · 01-12-2003, 02:31 AM

MFFL: But you know I've read numerous stories about Wilt and the players back then having to travel parts of their road trips occasionally by foot. Like having to walk 5 to 10 miles from the train station to their hotel. Who knows with the added exercise maybe Shaq's ass wouldn't have grown so big if he played back then. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

MFFL · 01-12-2003, 02:40 AM

Another fun fact about Wilt. I've heard from a couple of sources that the offensive 3 second in the lane rule was implemented to stop Wilt. I have not been able to confirm it (the lane WAS widened) but the refs DID call that a lot against Wilt. Can you imagine the bedlam it would cause Shaq's game if he was called for 3 seconds on a consistent basis?

LRB - you are right about the players and some of the almost unbelievable things they went through back then. Most of them had to have off season JOBS to make ends meet. A minor injury now would be a career ender back then. The players had to be tougher because the owners would cut players who got hurt. It was a different world.

OutletPass · 01-12-2003, 03:05 AM

MFFL - That is a truly, truly great set of posts on Wilt. It's an absolute shame that the true story of "Wilt as an athlete" has been overshadowed by the mythology of "Wilt".

Each and every point that you made was absolutely right on target.

So many fans, and NBA players themselves, have no idea of what this man really accomplished. Lost behind the bedroom legends and the passing of decades, is a man who was absolutely one of the greatest athletes that I have ever seen in my life. I'll tip my hat to Murph and agree first that Wilt wasn't a 3 pt. jump shooting fool. But to even suggest that he was some kind of glued-in-the-paint behemoth is patently untrue.

Wilt was also a very accomplished track athlete (and I could go on and on about other sports such as volleyball) and was particularly adept at the high jump.

Can any of us even imagine Shaq even beginning to attempt that ?

Anyone can sit down with a record book and see all of the amazing records that he set. But few can remember the remarkable combination of speed, power, mobility, agility, competitiveness and heart that this man possessed on the fields of play.

I can't say this about any other player from "the good old days" up to the present. Think what you like Murph, it's a free country...but Wilt was an athlete in every sense of the word...and I can't say that about Shaq.

LRB · 01-12-2003, 03:33 AM

As dominant as Shaq supposedly is, why is he not consistantly leading the lead in rebounding and scoring? Shaq has never come close to what Rodman, a contemporary of his, averaged for rebounds. If Wilt was in the league today, playing at his prime, I have no doubt he would lead the league in both points and rebounds. They wouldn't be as gaudy as some of his record setting seasons were, but they certainly would be better than anyone today. And Shaq would be completely defenseless against Wilt. He's too fat and slow.

All his carreer Shaq has been a big underachiever. Yeah he has been dominant, but that was all genetics and had little to do with any exceptional effort on his part. Shaq's poor work ethic and conditioning efforts are starting to catch up with him. At least when he falls on this ass he will have plenty of padding to cushion the fall.

MFFL · 01-12-2003, 09:09 AM

It's funny that Shaq only became the dominant center in the league when the other centers (Dream, Ewing, Duncan and Mourning) got old or injured.

More Wilt notes. It was Chamberlain's all-around athletic skills that made him a premier performer - he lettered in track and field at Kansas, setting a school record in the high jump. Extremely agile for his size, he ran cross-country in high school and was an outstanding high jumper and shot-putter at the University of Kansas.