Shaq says Yao could have been a top 5 center of all-time

[Da Heroic One]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjP0806a1Qg&feature=player_embedded

He also reminiscences about his time playing with him.

[QuebecBaller]

Wlit
Kareem
Hakeem
Shaq
Russell

Top 5 in no particular order

Edit : Sorry for my mistake

[K.Koscik]

Wlit
Kareem
Hakeem
Shaq

Top 4 in no particular order

:roll: You're missing one bud

[All Net]

A lot of shaq says threads lately

[rezznor]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjP0806a1Qg&feature=player_embedded

He also reminiscences about his time playing with him.


we all know that shaq doesn't hand out compliments easily, especially to players at his position. for him to say this tells alot. (i don't see Yao being that high though)

[QuebecBaller]

:roll: You're missing one bud
:facepalm :facepalm :facepalm

Russell

[Theoo's Daddy]

Shaq's running his mouth too god damn much..

[R.I.P.]

A lot of shaq says threads lately

Shaq is a funny character in small doses, but I think he

[wang4three]

As much as I love Shaq, he did once say that Iverson was a top 5 player of all time.

[All Net]

As much as I love Shaq, he did once say that Iverson was a top 5 player of all time.
Doubt he still thinks that

[Bigsmoke]

who takes Shaq's quotes seriously?

[wang4three]

Doubt he still thinks that

Does it matter? Shaq is the ultimate hype man and he's always been good to people/players that have been good to him. I doubt he really think Iverson was a top 5 player when he said that. They have mutual respect and underlying reason for why he compliments Iverson or Yao so greatly, rather than because he actually believes it.

[get these NETS]

Hate to throw Shaq under the bus...or the buffet table or hot dog truck

but he's full of it..and here is why.

Before they faced each other for the first time..shaq was on the radio and guy asked him about facing Yao..Shaq did a racist charlie chan caricature about chinese people

Because he's Shaq, lot of people brushed it off, but being as media and business savvy as he is...Shaq realized how foolish it was to do such a thing and he apologized to Yao (and Chinese people in general)...and he's always shown respect to Yao on the court...he doesn't even play him as hard as he does other players...dunking and tossing the ball at him...


Shaq knows he was wrong, so he goes out of his way to be gracious to Yao.

[redhonda76]

we all know that shaq doesn't hand out compliments easily, especially to players at his position. for him to say this tells alot. (i don't see Yao being that high though)

Yup. Shaq never give out compliments to the players he played against. The only other player Shaq ever gave out props was Hakeem. Too bad we never get to see Yao's full potential.

[ShaqAttack3234]

Yup. Shaq never give out compliments to the players he played against. The only other player Shaq ever gave out props was Hakeem. Too bad we never get to see Yao's full potential.

Nah, he's also complimented Tim Duncan quite a few times.

But yeah, it's a shame we didn't get to see Yao healthy in his prime. I don't think he would've been a top 5 center of all time, but he could've been a top 10 center of all time.

[Godzuki]

[QUOTE=R.I.P.]Shaq is a funny character in small doses, but I think he

[one2]

I would've loved to have seen Yao play on the Lakers instead of Pau.

For Yao to deserve to be in the HOF on basketball merit, he would've had to win at least 1-3 rings, 1-3 finals MVPs, and a couple of season MVPs.

Sorry random comments there was no many Yao threads I didn't know where to post this.

[rodman91]

As much as I love Shaq, he did once say that Iverson was a top 5 player of all time.

Maybe he consider like that because they gave prime Shaq some trouble?

Yao was able to block his shots and he couldnt dominate him as he did with rest of the league.

Iverson was having crazy games against Lakers always and spoiled 15-0 playoff run in 2001.

Probably for those reasons.Obviously

Also he praises almost every star he played with similar.

I mean, Pippen said Lebron is better than Jordan.. Whatever Shaq says can't be more shocking :lol

[AMISTILLILL]

Emphasis on "could have been." The very assets that made Yao a formidable big man were the same assets that doomed him from the start. He needed the size to be a force to be reckoned with but it's that size, and the damage it did to his body, that eventually did him in. Take the size away and it isn't the same player.

As much as I'm pulling for Shaq to be successful in his career following the game, I can't help but think that these sorts of comments, along with the 'underdog wins next year' and subtle jab to the "Big Two" in Miami recently, are just a harbinger of things to come with his analysis. I don't think his bombastic personality, grand gestures and borderline inflammatory commentary will be received well if all he plans to do is use them to make over the top statements left and right. His credibility will take a hit right off the bat.

[Da Heroic One]

Nah, he's also complimented Tim Duncan quite a few times.

But yeah, it's a shame we didn't get to see Yao healthy in his prime. I don't think he would've been a top 5 center of all time, but he could've been a top 10 center of all time.
No could have there, that is a would have.

[get these NETS]

This thread has taken a turn towards the funny.


Pat Ewing
David Robinson
Alonzo Mourning
Moses Malone
Bob Lanier
Wills Reed
Wes Unseld( who won mvp in his ROOKIE year)
Dave Cowens


Yao is better or was projected to become better than THESE guys, who round out top 10 centers lists???

really? based on what?

[verylegit]

shaq kissing a$$

[Da Heroic One]

This thread has taken a turn towards the funny.


Pat Ewing
David Robinson
Alonzo Mourning
Moses Malone
Bob Lanier
Wills Reed
Wes Unseld( who won mvp in his ROOKIE year)
Dave Cowens


Yao is better or was projected to become better than THESE guys, who round out top 10 centers lists???

really? based on what?
Yao would have been up there with Ewing had he been healthy, he was already better than Zo ever was in his prime.

[get these NETS]

Yao would have been up there with Ewing had he been healthy, he was already better than Zo ever was in his prime. the same Zo who was dpoy?

THAT Zo... the one who was a force on both sides of the ball and who played with the heart of a marine?


THAT Zo?



(your race),PLEASE

[Da Heroic One]

the same Zo who was dpoy?

THAT Zo... the one who was a force on both sides of the ball and who played with the heart of a marine?


THAT Zo?



(your race),PLEASE
Zo was the better defender and that was about it, Yao was a legit offensive center, you know, a guy you can run your offense through. Yao would have been up there with Ewing had he been healthy and he definitely would have won an MVP at some point.

[ShaqAttack3234]

This thread has taken a turn towards the funny.


Pat Ewing
David Robinson
Alonzo Mourning
Moses Malone
Bob Lanier
Wills Reed
Wes Unseld( who won mvp in his ROOKIE year)
Dave Cowens


Yao is better or was projected to become better than THESE guys, who round out top 10 centers lists???

really? based on what?

Definitely give me Yao over Unseld. Don't know much about Lanier, but I'd definitely predict Yao minus injuries would have been better than Cowens and Reed as well.

He obviously wasn't the defender that Robinson, Zo or Ewing were, but he may have had more potential as a scorer, certainly more offensive talent than Zo.

[get these NETS]

Definitely give me Yao over Unseld. Don't know much about Lanier, but I'd definitely predict Yao minus injuries would have been better than Cowens and Reed as well.

He obviously wasn't the defender that Robinson, Zo or Ewing were, but he may have had more potential as a scorer, certainly more offensive talent than Zo.


more potential as a scorer than Robinson or Ewing?


I'm done.

[Kevin_Gamble]

This thread has taken a turn towards the funny.


Pat Ewing
David Robinson
Alonzo Mourning
Moses Malone
Bob Lanier
Wills Reed
Wes Unseld( who won mvp in his ROOKIE year)
Dave Cowens


Yao is better or was projected to become better than THESE guys, who round out top 10 centers lists???

really? based on what?
Don't know about guys who played in the 70s and before, but **** Ewing, Zo, and Robinson. If we are play the what if game, and we are comparing the fictional healthy Yao to those guys, Yao is definitely better. Zo is too short and unskilled, Ewing was a gimpy jump shooter, and Robinson was soft. Fictional healthy Yao is better than all of them.

[ZaaaaaH]

more potential as a scorer than Robinson or Ewing?


I'm done.

Yao would of been better then Ewing and Zo but not Robinson we are talking about Healthy Yao who would of reached his prime but Injuries is part of the game and Yao being a Injury prone I dont think he would of Never got to that level but Yao at Best would of Cracked Top 10 if he got to finish his career.

But I like the fact that ur really looking down on Yao. You should go do ur hw.

[ShaqAttack3234]

more potential as a scorer than Robinson or Ewing?


I'm done.

I said, may have had more potential as a scorer.

Even with the new rules, which in particular hurt a center like Yao, in the second half of 2005-2006, he averaged 26/12 on 54% from the field and 88% from the line. And that's with his last game that he left after only 8 minutes which brings those numbers down. That's a pretty significant 25 game sample size and that was at only 25 years old in his 4th year in an injury-plagued year.

He started off the next season being mentioned as one of the top MVP candidates averaging 27/10 on 52% from the field and 86% from the line in his first 26 games before going down with another injury.

That's at 25/26 years old with injuries interrupting his progress.

Is it really ridiculous to say he could've been a better scorer had he been able to have a real prime from age 27-30? He was 7'6", had bulked up and become a formidable inside player with a great hook and fadeaway which were almost unblockable, very good footwork and good mobility/athleticism for his size. You couldn't foul him because he shot free throws as well as guards like MJ and Kobe, but you couldn't really guard him one on one by that point.

Ewing was a monster scorer around '90/'91, and he's one of my favorite players of all-time, but he had his flaws as well, particularly for his extended prime.

Robinson was a freak athlete, had one of the best faceup games I've ever seen from a center due to his mid-range shot and ability to take other centers off the dribble and no center ran the floor better, but he's an overrated scorer. His back to the basket game was never great and it's probably why his scoring dropped so much in the playoffs.

[gigantes]

TOTAL IRONY in shaq calling out yao or anyone else.

shaq had a size-skills mixture that only lebron might also have, but he squandered it in a way that can only be described as 'beyond legendary'.

shaq is a guy, who, early in his career, should have been begging people to teach him a midrange jumper and correct FT form. if he'd merely taken care of those two areas he probably would have been considered the greatest player of all time, jordan or no jordan.

shaq is absolutely the last person who i give a crap about talking about yao or anyone else. he is possibly the greatest slacker of all time and is extremely lucky himself even to be considered in the top five centers.

[ShaqAttack3234]

TOTAL IRONY in shaq calling out yao or anyone else.

shaq had a size-skills mixture that only lebron might also have, but he squandered it in a way that can only be described as 'beyond legendary'.

shaq is a guy, who, early in his career, should have been begging people to teach him a midrange jumper and correct FT form. if he'd merely taken care of those two areas he probably would have been considered the greatest player of all time, jordan or no jordan.

shaq is absolutely the last person who i give a crap about talking about yao or anyone else. he is possibly the greatest slacker of all time and is extremely lucky himself even to be considered in the top five centers.

Correct about free throw, though to some extent he simply didn't have much ability in that area. But a mid-range jumper? Yeah....I want a 7'1", 340 pound athletic freak shooting jumpers. :rolleyes:

Lucky to be considered a top 5 center? :roll: No, he's considered one, because he clearly played at that level, regardless of how good he could've been.

And where did he call out Yao? He praised him actually, and was referring to Yao's potential if not for the injuries(even though he was exaggerating with the top 5 comment).

[iamgine]

Yao could be one of the greatest paint defender in the history. I think he limited Amare to 44% shooting. Yao was also pretty unstoppable on offense, which is why the referees allow people to whack the sh!t out of him to even out the playing field.

But that's all due to his size. And his size was his biggest enemy too. It's impossible for him not to get injured being that tall. There's no "if he didn't get injured" for him. It's humanly almost impossible. So nope, he couldn't have been top 5 center of all time.

[tpols]

Yao could be one of the greatest paint defender in the history. I think he limited Amare to 44% shooting. Yao was also pretty unstoppable on offense, which is why the referees allow people to whack the sh!t out of him to even out the playing field.

But that's all due to his size. And his size was his biggest enemy too. It's impossible for him not to get injured being that tall. There's no "if he didn't get injured" for him. It's humanly almost impossible. So nope, he couldn't have been top 5 center of all time.
It isn't impossible.. look at guys like Karl Malone, Lebron James, and even Shaq himself. These guys all had a massive amount of weight on their frames and they barely had any knee or serious leg problems throughout the primes of their careers. If Yao had bigger joints with stronger tendons and ligaments surrounding them, his frame might have been supported to at least carry out 5 or so more prime years.. which is all he would have needed[around 9 seasons of healthy play] to maximize his potential.

Shaq himself was actually considerably bigger/more heavy than Yao, but he didn't run into nearly as many injuries.

[iamgine]

It isn't impossible.. look at guys like Karl Malone, Lebron James, and even Shaq himself. These guys all had a massive amount of weight on their frames and they barely had any knee or serious leg problems throughout the primes of their careers. If Yao had bigger joints with stronger tendons and ligaments surrounding them, his frame might have been supported to at least carry out 5 or so more prime years.. which is all he would have needed[around 9 seasons of healthy play] to maximize his potential.

Shaq himself was actually considerably bigger/more heavy than Yao, but he didn't run into nearly as many injuries.
I think it's more the height though. All the really tall people ran into injuries or didn't last long in the NBA. It has something to do with being unusually tall. I think Yao had normal joints and tendon, not weak or anything but he's just too tall. I think this leg problems has also been generally true with all the tallest people in the world.

[redhonda76]

I really hate to say this but I believe Yao 'might" have the potential to be better than Ewing. Especially if you put Yao in the 80s/90s rule without the zone defense, it would favor more on the offensive center like Yao. None of those girly fouls exist during those days either. During that stretch of 3 months of his MVP season before he went down, Yao was constantly being doubled and tripled team and still put up 30/10.
I would imagine if replacing Ewing with the healthy Yao on that 90s Knicks, surrounding him with physical guys Oakley, Starks, Mason, Harper, Greg Anthony.
Too bad that guys of his size aren't meant to play basketball long.

[GOBB]

Shaq did that Chinese thing a long time ago. You actually think his comments now ha e anything to do with how he acted them???? Nice reach.


Hate to throw Shaq under the bus...or the buffet table or hot dog truck

but he's full of it..and here is why.

Before they faced each other for the first time..shaq was on the radio and guy asked him about facing Yao..Shaq did a racist charlie chan caricature about chinese people

Because he's Shaq, lot of people brushed it off, but being as media and business savvy as he is...Shaq realized how foolish it was to do such a thing and he apologized to Yao (and Chinese people in general)...and he's always shown respect to Yao on the court...he doesn't even play him as hard as he does other players...dunking and tossing the ball at him...


Shaq knows he was wrong, so he goes out of his way to be gracious to Yao.

[MeLO MvP 15]

I hope it doesn't stay like this where every time Shaq makes a comment it becomes a huge deal on ESPN and here. Hopefully it's just because with the lockout we have nothing to talk about.

[Eat Like A Bosh]

Hate to throw Shaq under the bus...or the buffet table or hot dog truck

but he's full of it..and here is why.

Before they faced each other for the first time..shaq was on the radio and guy asked him about facing Yao..Shaq did a racist charlie chan caricature about chinese people

Because he's Shaq, lot of people brushed it off, but being as media and business savvy as he is...Shaq realized how foolish it was to do such a thing and he apologized to Yao (and Chinese people in general)...and he's always shown respect to Yao on the court...he doesn't even play him as hard as he does other players...dunking and tossing the ball at him...


Shaq knows he was wrong, so he goes out of his way to be gracious to Yao.
Shaq was kidding. He doesn't have a problem with Yao. Even Yao himself said that Shaq was one of his buddies.

[get these NETS]

Shaq did that Chinese thing a long time ago. You actually think his comments now ha e anything to do with how he acted them???? Nice reach.


show me a video clip of shaq playing as hard against yao as he did against chris dudley(ehehe) and I'll shut up... otherwise I'm not reaching.

shaq went out of his way to be unshaq-like when he played against yao...

the top five center comment is bull....I know it you know it.....shaq knows it..kissing yao's ass and protecting his marketability in far East.


instead of worrying about me....worry about why there's no statue of a REAL top 5 center like Moses Malone in philly, or of Dr. J.....or of heavyweight joe frazier...

but one of fictional heavyweight champ.


the comedian bill burr was right

[ShaqAttack3234]

show me a video clip of shaq playing as hard against yao as he did against chris dudley(ehehe) and I'll shut up... otherwise I'm not reaching.

shaq went out of his way to be unshaq-like when he played against yao...

the top five center comment is bull....I know it you know it.....shaq knows it..kissing yao's ass and protecting his marketability in far East.


instead of worrying about me....worry about why there's no statue of a REAL top 5 center like Moses Malone in philly, or of Dr. J.....or of heavyweight joe frazier...

but one of fictional heavyweight champ.


the comedian bill burr was right

Moses was not a top 5 center of all time. Kareem, Shaq, Hakeem, Russell and Wilt make up the top 5. And if you count Duncan as a center, he's also better than Moses.

[get these NETS]

Moses was not a top 5 center of all time. Kareem, Shaq, Hakeem, Russell and Wilt make up the top 5. And if you count Duncan as a center, he's also better than Moses.

Moses has 3 NBA MVP awards...and in 82...he wiped his ass with KAJ en route to a sweep of the Lakers and the ring...

He's in my top 5

[ShaqAttack3234]

Moses has 3 NBA MVP awards...and in 82...he wiped his ass with KAJ en route to a sweep of the Lakers and the ring...

He's in my top 5

Moses was what? 27 or 28 then? Kareem was 8 years older. And Moses won his only ring on a team that had gone 58-24 and made the finals the year before without him.

[get these NETS]

Moses was what? 27 or 28 then? Kareem was 8 years older. And Moses won his only ring on a team that had gone 58-24 and made the finals the year before without him.


I'm debating google, now..


The sixers were the buffalo bills of the nba....get it?

Moses delivered a chip to Philly and destroyed Kareem in the process,sweeping the lakers and going 4,5,4 in the playoffs......the same "old" Kareem that went on to help Lakers win 4 more rings...AFTER that.

[ShaqAttack3234]

I'm debating google, now..


The sixers were the buffalo bills of the nba....get it?

Moses delivered a chip to Philly and destroyed Kareem in the process,sweeping the lakers and going 4,5,4 in the playoffs......the same "old" Kareem that went on to help Lakers win 4 more rings...AFTER that.

Regardless, it shows what an unbelievable amount of help he had for that team to be so close 3 straight years before he got there.

And Kareem was still a very good player, but Moses was better that entire season, so you expect that. Moses didn't prevent Kareem from doing what he usually did, he killed him on the boards, but you expect that as well considering Moses was averaging what? Twice as many rebounds as Kareem for the season?

[get these NETS]

UPDATE


this is an old thread just bumping it becuse

found the article about Shaq's comments towards Yao

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/news/2003/01/10/shaq_yao_ap/



nobody cared before, bu in light of Lin and some of the stuff that's been directed at him, perhaps my point is now clear.

Shaq F'd up....he got called on it....and went out of his way to be gracious to Yao for the rest of his career.

watch clips of shaq playing against yao and tell me he's playing with hhis game face on

[get these NETS]

Regardless, it shows what an unbelievable amount of help he had for that team to be so close 3 straight years before he got there.

And Kareem was still a very good player, but Moses was better that entire season, so you expect that. Moses didn't prevent Kareem from doing what he usually did, he killed him on the boards, but you expect that as well considering Moses was averaging what? Twice as many rebounds as Kareem for the season?


lot of words but at the end of the day

JUST like I said..... Moses wiped his ass with KAJ...who went on to win 4 more rings....and at least one more finals mvp(so much for younger moses against a washed up kareem)