Shaq Retires

[Primetime]

Just tweeted it. What's his legacy? Where do you put him on all-time lists?

 

[manchild24]

Dominate and a force in the middle. To say he was the best, IDK. But I dont know of more physical and dominate big man from a power scense. Sadly though he should have hung it up a few years ago.

 

[tigstah]

wilt the stilt was the best.
shaq retires......shoulda retired 3 or 4 years ago. his time in boston and cleveland were for not.

 

[G-men]

hes somewhere at the bottom of the top 10 all time

 

[FedEx227]

We sort of had this discussion in a thread about Slam's 500 all-time or whatever, I think people underrated Shaq in a lot of ways because he was apart of an era of basketball that a lot of people didn't watch or consider "crap" but he was absolutely dominant in that era.

He's top 10 no doubt, top 5 possibly. I'd probably put him around 5-8 range?

 

[EmpireWF]

Definite top 10 all-time, first ballot hall of famer, mainstream superstar....

 

[Senser81]

#26 all time sounds about right to me. Great scorer in his prime.

 

[FirstTimer]

I still prefer a skilled big like Hakeem over him but tough to argue with his sheer dominance. Always odd to me for as dominant a force he was in the late 1990's and early 2000's he only came away with one MVP.

IMO he's a top 10 player all time. 6-10 range. Not sure I'd put him top 5.

 

[spiker]

Top 5 Centers

1. Wilt Chamberlain
2. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
3. Bill Russell
4. Hakeem Olajuwon
5. Shaquille O'Neal

He's first ballot HOF but I don't think he's a Top 10 NBA player of all time. Top 20 probably.

 

[Primetime]

Not that it changes his ranks in history or the way he played the game, but he was one hilarious fucker too.

 

[ralaw]

I'm not sure we'll ever see a center like him again....just pure force, athleticism and dominance....during his prime years there was nothing anyone could do agaisnt him. IMO he's top 10 all-time. He was one of the true superstars in sports.

 

[Senser81]

Just a thought...Moses Malone has more career points and way more career rebounds than Shaq.

 

[BluntNation]

There's no question that Shaq is one of the all time greatest centers to play the game.

 

[ralaw]

Just a thought...Moses Malone has more career points and way more career rebounds than Shaq.

Does that mean you'd rank him over Shaq?

 

[bucky]

What's his legacy?

Lazy. He could have been the best center of all time. But was too lazy to work for it.

He was much more brute force and less skill. I was very excited and a fan back in the early Magic days with "Penny", right out of college, but quickly became highly disappointed.

 

[spiker]

Does that mean you'd rank him over Shaq?

I'd rank Patrick Ewing over Malone.

 

[ralaw]

I'd rank Patrick Ewing over Malone.

I can't argue with about Moses Malone, because he was before my time....and I'm not the type to just go off of stats. I only remember the late 90's Malone, which wouldn't be fair to him.

 

[FedEx227]

Just a thought...Moses Malone has more career points and way more career rebounds than Shaq.

Only if you count his ABA career is he higher in points, but even then counting ABA...we're talking about a ton more games.

Moses Malone: 1455 career games, 29,580 total points
Shaq: 1207 career games, 28,596 total points

Averages put Moses at 20.3 ppg, Shaq is at 23.7.

 

[spiker]

I can't argue with about Moses Malone, because he was before my time....and I'm not the type to just go off of stats. I only remember the late 90's Malone, which wouldn't be fair to him.

Only if you count his ABA career is he higher in points, but even then counting ABA...we're talking about a ton more games.

Moses Malone: 1455 career games, 29,580 total points
Shaq: 1207 career games, 28,596 total points

Averages put Moses at 20.3 ppg, Shaq is at 23.7.

I was just about to say that Malone played forever. The guy's career spanned 3 decades.

 

[FirstTimer]

I'd rank Patrick Ewing over Malone.

I can't argue with about Moses Malone, because he was before my time....and I'm not the type to just go off of stats. I only remember the late 90's Malone, which wouldn't be fair to him.

I'd most likely put Malone over Ewing but wouldn't argue it either way really.

Lazy. He could have been the best center of all time. But was too lazy to work for it.

He was much more brute force and less skill. I was very excited and a fan back in the early Magic days with "Penny", right out of college, but quickly became highly disappointed.

I think you feel the same way as a lot of people bucky. Shaq let his weight really baloon and I think lost some of that freakish athleticism that he had when he was younger and those heavier years IMO shaved some productive years off his career.