2000-02 Shaq vs 1991-93 Jordan: Which player would you choose?

[SouBeachTalents]

Jordan

1991: MVP, All-NBA First Team & Defensive First Team
RS: 32/6/6 on 54%
PS: 31/6/8 on 52%
F: 31/7/11 on 56%

1992: MVP, All-NBA First Team & Defensive First Team
RS: 30/6/6 on 52%
PS: 35/6/6 on 50%
F: 36/5/7 on 53%

1993: All-NBA First Team & Defensive First Team
RS: 33/7/6 on 50%
PS: 35/7/6 on 48%
F: 41/9/6 on 51%

Shaq

2000: MVP, All-NBA First Team & Defensive Second Team
RS: 30/14/4 on 57%
PS: 31/15/3 on 57%
F: 38/17/2 on 61%

2001: All-NBA First Team & Defensive Second Team
RS: 29/13/4 on 57%
PS: 30/15/3 on 56%
F: 33/16/4 on 57%

2002: All-NBA First Team
RS: 27/11/3 on 58%
PS: 29/13/3 on 53%
F: 36/12/4 on 60%

[dubeta]

LeBron from 2012 to 2014 had an average PER of 30.64

It was higher than either Shaq or Jordan

So i'll take LeBron

[3ball]

MJ's playoff stats are better.

Shaq's Finals stats compare, but they're mostly against the worst Finals opponents ever (or very close to it).

So most of the dominance we all remember Shaq for during that time period was against scrub teams in the Finals.

[Kobe_6/8]

Old rules? Jordan.

New rules? Shaq.

[Lebron23]

Shaquille O'Neal

[Micku]

Flip a coin.


In some series, Shaq would be better. Others it'll be MJ. Flip a coin tho. MJ is the better scorer, no question. Shaq would make the whole team guard him in order to slow him down most of the time and they would have to foul him.

[Castor Troy]

Those are some crazy numbers from both of them! Damn!!!

[Dr Hawk]

The are close but I think Jordan was capable of doing more things on the court, and also, I think he faced tougher opponents. Jordan is my choice.

[StrongLurk]

The real answer is flip a coin. They both have the highest peak of any players I've seen, and both dominated the finals by winning 3 finals mvps in a row.

I think the only advantage MJ has would be in the clutch (mostly due to being a much better free throw shooter), but I think Shaq has more of an advantage of completely warping the opposing teams defense and getting them in foul trouble.

[Jacks3]

jordan easily.

better scorer, better efficiency, more dynamic offense and more consistent defense.

[PejaTheSerbSnip]

Jordan. Just as impactful individually, better leader, more durable, can play at the end of games.

[Prime_Shaq]

Shaq.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Mike

It's close though. Anyone saying "easily" or "its not even close" are just being disingenuous.

[24-Inch_Chrome]

Mike

It's close though. Anyone saying "easily" or "its not even close" are just being disingenuous.

Only people saying or implying that it's not even close are trolls.

3ball is the biggest/dumbest Jordan stan on the site, Jacks3 is a Kobe stan who needs to discredit Shaq to prop up his idol.

I'll take Jordan, not by much.

[OldSchoolBBall]

Jordan. Comparable/greater production than Shaq, but far more able to raise his game on command (when a big game was needed, or a big 4th quarter etc.). Also way more clutch and doesn't have any weaknesses, unlike Shaq. If Shaq was an 80+% FT shooter and more committed to defense, this would be closer than it already is.

[kamil]

Jordan

1991: MVP, All-NBA First Team & Defensive First Team
RS: 32/6/6 on 54%
PS: 31/6/8 on 52%
F: 31/7/11 on 56%

1992: MVP, All-NBA First Team & Defensive First Team
RS: 30/6/6 on 52%
PS: 35/6/6 on 50%
F: 36/5/7 on 53%

1993: All-NBA First Team & Defensive First Team
RS: 33/7/6 on 50%
PS: 35/7/6 on 48%
F: 41/9/6 on 51%

Shaq

2000: MVP, All-NBA First Team & Defensive Second Team
RS: 30/14/4 on 57%
PS: 31/15/3 on 57%
F: 38/17/2 on 61%

2001: All-NBA First Team & Defensive Second Team
RS: 29/13/4 on 57%
PS: 30/15/3 on 56%
F: 33/16/4 on 57%

2002: All-NBA First Team
RS: 27/11/3 on 58%
PS: 29/13/3 on 53%
F: 36/12/4 on 60%

Both these guys perform better in the playoffs and even better in the finals.

Unlike LeBron*, who performs worse.

[Cold soul]

Jordan more durable, better scorer, better defender, leadership, clutch, and you could rely on him at end of games especially FT shooter while Shaq was a liability.

[Magic 32]

Phil seems to favor Shaq.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO8B34V7ufk&t=3m57s

[Da_Realist]

Phil seems to favor Shaq.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO8B34V7ufk&t=3m57s

Thanks for posting this video. I've always thought the early 00's Lakers were underrated in the all-time rankings sense. They had Shaq and Kobe but everyone else's impact has not survived the years. Fisher hit every jumpshot he threw up. Horry, Fox and Harper played great perimeter defense. Shaw was a good floor leader . They had multiple guys that could hit big shots (Horry, Fisher, Rice, maybe one or two more). They had the best coaching staff in the league.

And on top of that, they had Shaq and Kobe.

They weren't just the Shaq and Kobe show. That was a great team all the way around.

I'm not sure who would win between the best of the Bulls and the best of the 00's Lakers. I think the 00's Lakers would match up favorable with anybody, including the 80's Lakers and Celtics. No one talks about them but they could have beaten the so-called greatest team ever -- the 86 Celtics. I think they were capable of beating any team in a seven game series.

[AirFederer]

The GOAT, duh.

He can close out games without worries about his FT's.

But Shaq was a beast no doubt.

Lebron? Ha!

[Papaya Petee]

I want to go with Shaq.

People who say Jordan better defensively.. perimeter defense yes, but Shaq was a post defender, and nobody was finishing around the rim on that monster. Impacted the game more defensively, even though Jordan was the better defender.

[game3524]

Shaq

[game3524]

I want to go with Shaq.

People who say Jordan better defensively.. perimeter defense yes, but Shaq was a post defender, and nobody was finishing around the rim on that monster. Impacted the game more defensively, even though Jordan was the better defender.

This.

Good post defenders are more valuable then great perimeter defenders.

[scm5]

If it's just for those 3 years, Shaq.

Durability wouldn't be an issue. Long term, give me MJ.

[Elosha]

MJ, although it's fairly close. Shaq was probably the most physically dominant player of all time, no disrespect to Wilt. But Jordan simply would not stop or give up, or be lazy, all of which happened to Shaq at times.

It wasn't just that Shaq missed free throws. He often simply seemed to diminish overall in big games/big moments. When the going got tough, Shaq would sometimes - not always - fail to rise to the occasion. No one would expect him to hit jumpshots, but he often didn't get - or demand - the ball in big moments, particularly in the playoffs. It was usually Kobe who was taking the biggest shots, albeit not usually at a very efficient clip.

Shaq was clearly the best overall player on the Lakers and in the league during their three-peat, but he's still a step below Jordan.

[Rose'sACL]

The are close but I think Jordan was capable of doing more things on the court, and also, I think he faced tougher opponents. Jordan is my choice.
no, he didn't. you can make the case in jordan vs lebron comparison but not in shaq vs jordan.