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I just want to give a special credit to my fried Foobas who just uploaded amazing Wilt vs Shaq video. Believe me, it's worth watching

i don't think either will physically "dominate" either, like bully ball,,,,but wilt was way more athletic

The one that played against actual athletes, and not janitors, part time players and skinny twigs smoking on the benches.

SecondTake wrote:The one that played against actual athletes, and not janitors, part time players and skinny twigs smoking on the benches.

But you forgot used car salesman and guys who couldn't dribble with their left hand.

Between 2000-2002 Shaq legitimately has a claim for being the most dominant player ever at his peak. Too bad he didn't keep himself in shape.

Shaq on the streets, Wilt in the sheets

The one that always came to camp in shape and could play 48 minutes.

SecondTake wrote:The one that played against actual athletes, and not janitors, part time players and skinny twigs smoking on the benches.

Which one of them was Nate Thurmond?

Statistically, nobody's ever going to touch Wilt. It's probably him, Ruth and Gretzky in the history of US sports. From a physical standpoint, Wilt was obviously a complete and total freak, but I don't think the human race has ever produced a specimen like Shaq. He didn't have the track athleticism that Wilt did, but in terms of pure, raw power, nothing I've seen compares to him, before or since. Plus, despite having a very solid little post game of his own, he wasn't settling for fadeaway bankshots because he wanted to prove how skilled he was. He was dunking it in your face at each and every opportunity.

70sFan wrote:

SecondTake wrote:The one that played against actual athletes, and not janitors, part time players and skinny twigs smoking on the benches.

Which one of them was Nate Thurmond?

Yeah, this is always such a myopic argument - "With the benefit of hindsight, and 50 years of advances in coaching, development, training, health and fitness, and civil rights, Shaq was the 'better' player." Gee, thanks for the insight. I guess Thomas Edison was a basic bish of an inventor because we have smartphones now.

Sedale Threatt wrote:Statistically, nobody's ever going to touch Wilt. It's probably him, Ruth and Gretzky in the history of US sports. From a physical standpoint, Wilt was obviously a complete and total freak, but I don't think the human race has ever produced a specimen like Shaq. He didn't have the track athleticism that Wilt did, but in terms of pure, raw power, nothing I've seen compares to him, before or since. Plus, despite having a very solid little post game of his own, he wasn't settling for fadeaway bankshots because he wanted to prove how skilled he was. He was dunking it in your face at each and every opportunity.

I've tracked 30 Shaq games from 1999/00 season.

17% of Shaq's post shots were fadeaways.
13% of Shaq's post shots were one handed push shots.
34% of Shaq's post shots were hooks.

So no, Shaq didn't try to dunk in your face at each and every opportunity. More than a half of Shaq's low post attempts were away from the basket.

Wilts great in fables. The tape says Shaq, easily

70sFan wrote:

Sedale Threatt wrote:Statistically, nobody's ever going to touch Wilt. It's probably him, Ruth and Gretzky in the history of US sports. From a physical standpoint, Wilt was obviously a complete and total freak, but I don't think the human race has ever produced a specimen like Shaq. He didn't have the track athleticism that Wilt did, but in terms of pure, raw power, nothing I've seen compares to him, before or since. Plus, despite having a very solid little post game of his own, he wasn't settling for fadeaway bankshots because he wanted to prove how skilled he was. He was dunking it in your face at each and every opportunity.

I've tracked 30 Shaq games from 1999/00 season.

17% of Shaq's post shots were fadeaways.
13% of Shaq's post shots were one handed push shots.
34% of Shaq's post shots were hooks.

So no, Shaq didn't try to dunk in your face at each and every opportunity. More than a half of Shaq's low post attempts were away from the basket.

Probably could have saved yourself some trouble.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/onealsh01/shooting/2000

But thanks for the info!

Shaq.

Sedale Threatt wrote:

70sFan wrote:

Sedale Threatt wrote:Statistically, nobody's ever going to touch Wilt. It's probably him, Ruth and Gretzky in the history of US sports. From a physical standpoint, Wilt was obviously a complete and total freak, but I don't think the human race has ever produced a specimen like Shaq. He didn't have the track athleticism that Wilt did, but in terms of pure, raw power, nothing I've seen compares to him, before or since. Plus, despite having a very solid little post game of his own, he wasn't settling for fadeaway bankshots because he wanted to prove how skilled he was. He was dunking it in your face at each and every opportunity.

I've tracked 30 Shaq games from 1999/00 season.

17% of Shaq's post shots were fadeaways.
13% of Shaq's post shots were one handed push shots.
34% of Shaq's post shots were hooks.

So no, Shaq didn't try to dunk in your face at each and every opportunity. More than a half of Shaq's low post attempts were away from the basket.

Probably could have saved yourself some trouble.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/onealsh01/shooting/2000

But thanks for the info!

Basketball reference data doesn't show low post shots though. You don't know how much of these hooks or jumpshots came from the post. That's why I do that with ATG centers (I did the same for peak Hakeem, Moses and Kareem).

We had a discussion about this here years ago. Wilt won the poll. One dude compared him to Javale McGee.

70sFan wrote:

Sedale Threatt wrote:

70sFan wrote:I've tracked 30 Shaq games from 1999/00 season.

17% of Shaq's post shots were fadeaways.
13% of Shaq's post shots were one handed push shots.
34% of Shaq's post shots were hooks.

So no, Shaq didn't try to dunk in your face at each and every opportunity. More than a half of Shaq's low post attempts were away from the basket.

Probably could have saved yourself some trouble.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/onealsh01/shooting/2000

But thanks for the info!

Basketball reference data doesn't show low post shots though. You don't know how much of these hooks or jumpshots came from the post. That's why I do that with ATG centers (I did the same for peak Hakeem, Moses and Kareem).

Cool!

When I judge players I look at the level of competition they faced in their day. Will was dominant in his time as there were few players his size and skillset. Other than Russell, Nate Thurmond and Walt Bellamy there were not many dominant centres.

Shaq played against a number of great centers in his time. Hakeem, Robinson, Ewing, Mourning, Mutombo, Big Z, Camby, Yao, Sabonis, Divac, Wallace and Duncan.

But to average 50 a season in any era is mind-boggling. For that season alone I will give the edge to Wilt.

Shaq isn't a mental midget.

I'm a huge Shaq fan and think he's the better player, but the question is "most dominant." Wilt averaged 30/22 for his career. The answer to this question is Wilt.