Shaquille O'Neal Reveals Why some 80s and 90s Stars are Overlooked

[Reggie43]

On the Scoop B Radio Podcast


Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: And I know that to be true. Hakeem Olajuwon. You mentioned him. When I look at Reggie Miller and I look at Hakeem, I feel like because they were such a – I think that in the 90’s for who watched basketball were spoiled. You had anybody from you to Charles, Michael, to Shawn Kemp – to just a myriad of different people. Do you think that in the rich era of 90’s basketball Hakeem and Reggie Miller were not totally valued – when you look at their games, to me I feel like that they can play in today’s era. Do you think that were – not overlooked, but there was so much great talent they weren’t getting the total respect they deserve?

Shaquille O’Neal: The answer to your question is that you’re correct. However, they were a part of a great product. For example, when you go to McDonald’s the Quarter Pounder is my favorite burger. But who has all the commercials – the Big Mac… so the NBA was putting out a product with: Magic, Bird, Kareem… and then the other options like Isiah – so it’s not like they didn’t get the credit, they just were not the number one option on the menu. They were still a part of a great product. So it’s like I said before when you go to a McDonald’s. You got the Big Mac, the Double Cheeseburger, you got the Fish Filet – they’re all good but the Big Mac is always going to be the one. And that’s Jordan. He’s always going to be the one, and that’s Magic and that’s Bird always are going to be the ones to outshine. It’s not that he was overlooked, you just had a lot of great products out there.

[iamgine]

Overlooked how? As opposed to the non kareems of the 70s? Or the non wilts and non russells of the 60s?

[light]

On the Scoop B Radio Podcast



Shaquille O’Neal: The answer to your question is that you’re correct. However, they were a part of a great product. For example, when you go to McDonald’s the Quarter Pounder is my favorite burger. But who has all the commercials – the Big Mac… so the NBA was putting out a product with: Magic, Bird, Kareem… and then the other options like Isiah – so it’s not like they didn’t get the credit, they just were not the number one option on the menu. They were still a part of a great product. So it’s like I said before when you go to a McDonald’s. You got the Big Mac, the Double Cheeseburger, you got the Fish Filet – they’re all good but the Big Mac is always going to be the one. And that’s Jordan. He’s always going to be the one, and that’s Magic and that’s Bird always are going to be the ones to outshine. It’s not that he was overlooked, you just had a lot of great products out there.

Reggie Miller is not even on McDonald's menu. You have to go to Jack in the Box for Reggie Miller.

[Rico2016]

Imagine a world where Reggie Miller is highly regarded. People crap on Chris Paul for not having a ring and he should be a higher ranked player than Reggie Miller in my opinion.

[Reggie43]

Just sharing what was said because i found the Mcdonalds analogy hilarious, no need to get offended.

[Reggie43]

Their words, not mine.

[Rico2016]

Their words, not mine.

Word, my bad.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Bernard King and Mitch Richmond come to mind.

Two of the best pure scorers I've seen. Didn't get the pub other stars did though. With BK you could argue he did in New York, but that all changed in DC. He was still great there yet rarely heard from. In 91 when Jordan got his first chip and grabbed another scoring title, King averaged 27 a game on 47%FG. He was 34 years old.

Mitch wasted away in Sacramento though. Had seasons where he averaged 24-25ppg on 45%fg AND over 40% from three. Another great scorer but also a pure shooter. Played really good defense too. I had mentioned in some other thread, that in 96 or 97, Jordan was interviewed in one of his postgames and said Mitch was the most underappreciated star in the league. Unfortunate that Sacramento was complete trash.

[LukeWalton]

Nostalgics vs people not even born in the 80s or 90s

[Reggie43]

Word, my bad.

No worries :cheers:

[Reggie43]

I was actually gonna post just Shaq's answer but it didnt look right without some context. Even edited the headline to not make it look bad.

[Axe]

'Cuz bball gurus & geeks say that the 80-90s were a watered down era?? 😮🤔

[light]

'Cuz bball gurus & geeks say that the 80-90s were a watered down era?? ����

No, nobody says the 80s were watered down. Just the 90s, and it's the players from the 80's said that - McHale, Bird, Barkley, Rodman, Dr. J - not geeks. The geeks say it because those players were saying it.

[Reggie43]

Mitch wasted away in Sacramento though. Had seasons where he averaged 24-25ppg on 45%fg AND over 40% from three. Another great scorer but also a pure shooter. Played really good defense too. I had mentioned in some other thread, that in 96 or 97, Jordan was interviewed in one of his postgames and said Mitch was the most underappreciated star in the league. Unfortunate that Sacramento was complete trash.

Mitch on a contender would have been nice, tought of him as a less athletic Jordan from back in the day with his signature jumper, offensive arsenal and strength at the guard spot although Mitch did have a better stroke from outside.

[FKAri]

Bernard King and Mitch Richmond come to mind.

Two of the best pure scorers I've seen. Didn't get the pub other stars did though. With BK you could argue he did in New York, but that all changed in DC. He was still great there yet rarely heard from. In 91 when Jordan got his first chip and grabbed another scoring title, King averaged 27 a game on 47%FG. He was 34 years old.

Mitch wasted away in Sacramento though. Had seasons where he averaged 24-25ppg on 45%fg AND over 40% from three. Another great scorer but also a pure shooter. Played really good defense too. I had mentioned in some other thread, that in 96 or 97, Jordan was interviewed in one of his postgames and said Mitch was the most underappreciated star in the league. Unfortunate for him that Sacramento was complete trash.

Bernard King was sooo good. Definitely underrated due to circumstance and injury. It's sad that with the prevalence of all-time ranking discussion great players get forgotten in favor of great resumes.

[NBAGOAT]

a small reason we dont see any guys as overlooked today is recency bias. there are guys now like mitch richmond who are hof lvl guys yet wont be talked about 2 years after they retire. Like lillard is easily on a hof path but he's never been a top 5 player and likely will never win shit in portland. He'l; be an afterthought in ten years.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Bernard King was sooo good. Definitely underrated due to circumstance and injury. It's sad that with the prevalence of all-time ranking discussion great players get forgotten in favor of great resumes.

BK actually averaged 28 points in that 91 season. My mistake. But yeah, dude basically went under the radar in Washington. Made an all-star team but could've easily been part of the Dream Team as well. King was hands down one of the best scorers in that era - an era catered to bigmen.


a small reason we dont see any guys as overlooked today is recency bias. there are guys now like mitch richmond who are hof lvl guys yet wont be talked about 2 years after they retire. Like lillard is easily on a hof path but he's never been a top 5 player and likely will never win shit in portland. He'l; be an afterthought in ten years.

Mitch wasn't really talked about. When he played for Run DMC ya, but that was a team thing. Mullin and Hardaway were good players in their own right.

Richmond's best years were in Sacramento though, and that team was garbage. He never got pub there. Hence the comments by Jordan.

[tpols]

damn...

and all those people talking taking starks or ritchmond or whoever over reggie.

shaq knows how dirty he was.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

I said Run "DMC" lol


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwhFfttASc0

TMC... Those dudes put on a show though. I remember Mullin going off for 40 in a playoff game against Magic's Lakers. All on long jumpers too.

[NBAGOAT]

BK actually averaged 28 points in that 91 season. My mistake. But yeah, dude basically went under the radar in Washington. Made an all-star team but could've easily been part of the Dream Team as well. King was hands down one of the best scorers in that era - an era catered to bigmen.



Mitch wasn't really talked about. When he played for Run DMC ya, but that was a team thing. Mullin and Hardaway were good players in their own right.

Richmond's best years were in Sacramento though, and that team was garbage. He never got pub there. Hence the comments by Jordan.

Yea dames bigger than Mitch didn’t mean to say he was talked about a lot even when playing. There aren’t many superstars now who were on bad teams like the kings and are on hof paths. I do think Lowry is underrated

[HoopsNY]

Bernard King and Mitch Richmond come to mind.

Two of the best pure scorers I've seen. Didn't get the pub other stars did though. With BK you could argue he did in New York, but that all changed in DC. He was still great there yet rarely heard from. In 91 when Jordan got his first chip and grabbed another scoring title, King averaged 27 a game on 47%FG. He was 34 years old.

Mitch wasted away in Sacramento though. Had seasons where he averaged 24-25ppg on 45%fg AND over 40% from three. Another great scorer but also a pure shooter. Played really good defense too. I had mentioned in some other thread, that in 96 or 97, Jordan was interviewed in one of his postgames and said Mitch was the most underappreciated star in the league. Unfortunate that Sacramento was complete trash.

I think this largely speaks to versatility. In those days, guys were specialists and really fitted one role. The mid to late 90s started to see more evolution where you had guys like KG, Hill, and Jason Kidd come into the game. Since Scottie Pippen was already a household name, the addition of these guys really added to the league where all-around basketball was concerned.

Guys like Reggie, Mitch, and even Bernard King were seen as being more one dimensional or specifically suited for one role. This doesn't take away from them as players, but it speaks to how the league was designed, more often offenses running through a big man. And when you lacked that, the scoring load fell on someone else and that was all that they were expected to do while other guys filled the void.

The game has changed. Versatility has developed over time and players now can and do play 3-4 positions. I think if those former players were raised in and played in this era, they would have likely done the same, with similar results just in different ways. Guys like Mitch Richmond, Reggie Miller, and Ray Allen would have been major players in today's game given their 3 point shooting ability.

[Reggie43]

I think this largely speaks to versatility. In those days, guys were specialists and really fitted one role. The mid to late 90s started to see more evolution where you had guys like KG, Hill, and Jason Kidd come into the game. Since Scottie Pippen was already a household name, the addition of these guys really added to the league where all-around basketball was concerned.

Guys like Reggie, Mitch, and even Bernard King were seen as being more one dimensional or specifically suited for one role. This doesn't take away from them as players, but it speaks to how the league was designed, more often offenses running through a big man. And when you lacked that, the scoring load fell on someone else and that was all that they were expected to do while other guys filled the void.

The game has changed. Versatility has developed over time and players now can and do play 3-4 positions. I think if those former players were raised in and played in this era, they would have likely done the same, with similar results just in different ways. Guys like Mitch Richmond, Reggie Miller, and Ray Allen would have been major players in today's game given their 3 point shooting ability.

I think there was enough versatility back in the day as influenced by the exploits of Magic and Bird almost everyone regardless of position wanted to handle the rock and go all the way to the basket and make the no look pass.

Players like Steve Smith and Jalen Rose even began their careers as point guards because if this as with Anfernee Hardaway. Bigs that could play diff positions or is atleast multiskilled in the way they play is not out of the ordinary back then, guys like Webber, Howard, Kemp, Barkley, Mason, Rasheed, Coleman etc could all handle the rock when needed, shoot the ball and dominate inside. Euro/international players like Schrempf, Kukoc, Petrovic, Sarunas etc are known as triple threat players. Guys like Payton, Sprewell, Harper, Hardaway could play diff positions while doing a great job defensively.

Modern rule changes and the style of play of the era has a bigger influence on how players play today than them actually evolving imo. Factor in this being a weak era for Bigmen which allows teams to play tweener type players and not get punished inside most nights. Positionless skilled smallball lineups wont even be a thing if you are facing a Shaq,Olajuwon, Robinson, Malone, Barkley, Ewing, Kemp etc every other night. We all know Don Nelson tried to do this back then with Run Tmc but the rules of the era and its players simply didnt allow him to be successful playing that way.