Does Shaq hold the record for consecutive 50+ win seasons?

OldSchoolNoBull · Post #1 » by **OldSchoolNoBull** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:35 pm

Does Shaq hold the record for most consecutive seasons in which a single player has been on a 50+ win team? He had 13 in a row from 1993-94 to 2005-06, and I can't find any other player who has done more than that.

ORL 1993-94 50-32
ORL 1994-95 57-25
ORL 1995-96 60-22
LAL 1996-97 56-26
LAL 1997-98 61-21
LAL 1998-99 31-19(50)
LAL 1999-00 67-15
LAL 2000-01 56-26
LAL 2001-02 58-24
LAL 2002-03 50-32
LAL 2003-04 56-26
MIA 2004-05 59-23
MIA 2005-06 52-30

For the shortened 98-99 season, I just took the winning percentage and multiplied it by 82, and it came out to exactly 50.

That's pretty impressive.

I've look at the records for a litany of the greatest players ever and I can't find anyone that ties or surpasses it.

Not Magic Johnson, who comes the closest, with 12 in a row, all with LA, from 1979-80 to 1990-91, which was his entire career.

Not Bill Russell - he had 10 in a row with Boston from 1958-59 to 1967-68.

Not Michael Jordan - The Bulls won 50+ from 1989-90 to 1993-94 and 1995-96 to 1997-98, missing 50 by 3 games in 1994-95. But even if they had reached 50 in 1994-95, that would've been just 9 seasons, and Jordan didn't even play in 1993-94.

Not Larry Bird - although it should be noted that the ONLY season between 1979-80 and 1991-92 in which his Celtics did NOT win 50+ games was the 1988-89 season, the season in which Bird was injured and only played six games. One could almost assume that if Bird had been healthy that year, that the Celtics would've won 50+ that year too, and the streak from 79-80 to 91-92 would have been 13, tying Shaq.

Not Malone&Stockton - their Jazz had only one season between 1988-89 and 1997-98 in which they didn't win 50 games - 1992-93 - and if they had, the streak would've been 10, three short of 13.

If no one ever had 13 before Shaq(I can't find any, but I'm leaving the possibility of me being wrong), there is only one man currently who has a legit shot at surpassing it: Tim Duncan.

Again, assuming, you take the Spurs' winning percentage from 98-99 and multiplying it by 82(it comes out to 60), this season is Duncan's 11th consecutive 50+ win season, 1997-98 - 2007-08. If the Spurs win 50+ for two more seasons, Duncan ties Shaq, three more, Duncan takes the record. We shall see.

Post #2 » by **Rooster** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:02 pm

Nice topic, and it really shows Shaq's dominance combined with the great players he's had on his teams.

Magic won 50+ per seaspn his entire career... wow. Just wow.

I think Duncan breaks the record and then promptly retires.

OldSchoolNoBull · Post #3 » by **OldSchoolNoBull** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:15 am

Rooster wrote:Magic won 50+ per seaspn his entire career... wow. Just wow.

Yeah, I wonder if he's the only player in NBA history to go his entire career without a sub-50 win season.

Manocad · Post #4 » by **Manocad** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:25 am

If you're talking about a record being consecutive seasons with 50 or more wins, a 31 win season doesn't count as a 50 win season.

If the record is consecutive seasons with a winning percentage of 61% or greater, then it does.

Just sayin'.

TAI8 · Post #5 » by **TAI8** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:27 am

Shaq meet Tim Duncan.

JellosJigglin · Post #6 » by **JellosJigglin** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:41 am

Shaq snuck out of a lottery season this year. But I guess technically you can say he finished the season on a 50+ win team.

astrallite · Post #7 » by **astrallite** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:42 am

Yep Tim Duncan has won 50+ his entire career.

Not only that he's averaged nearly 60 wins!

The Spurs have averaged 58+ wins per season since drafting Tim Duncan. That's dominance.

Teko · Post #8 » by **Teko** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:47 am

Robert Horry... If I count correctly, 12 straight and counting.

Horry has only 2 seasons not reaching 50 wins (47 & 48 wins, Rockets however won champion in one of the season) in his 16 years career... :bowdown:

Post #9 » by **tsherkin** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:47 am

Neat little investigation, nice topic!

bstein14 · Post #10 » by **bstein14** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 1:59 am

Shaq sure didn't win 50 this year.

Post #11 » by **tsherkin** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:00 am

bstein14 wrote:Shaq sure didn't win 50 this year.

Depends... if you count him as a sun, he did...

astrallite · Post #12 » by **astrallite** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:08 am

That is a good question, although maybe we should prorate the record when he was on one team and the other.

JellosJigglin · Post #13 » by **JellosJigglin** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:17 am

Magic Johnson won 50+ every year of his career and averaged 59 wins per season.

edit: He played 12 seasons

PopAGat · Post #14 » by **PopAGat** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 3:33 am

Wow, thats incredible. Nice topic didn't realize this. Just shows how important he is on any team.

shawngoat23 · Post #15 » by **shawngoat23** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:30 am

I'm pretty sure the Heat only won 15 games this year. Why does he get credit for all the games the Suns won without him?

shaqfan1 · Post #16 » by **shaqfan1** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:53 am

shawngoat23 wrote:I'm pretty sure the Heat only won 15 games this year. Why does he get credit for all the games the Suns won without him?

He's not getting credit for this season. His streak ended last season when the Heat finished 44-38.

Texas Longhorns · Post #17 » by **Texas Longhorns** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:55 am

Tim Duncan is tugging on Shaq's cape.

Puertorique · Post #18 » by **Puertorique** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:39 am

Not to bash on TD because he does deserve the acolade. However he came into his career differently then Shaq did. For instance he already had David Robinson. Shaq was drafted to Orlando who had Nick Anderson. Shaq went to the Lakers who werent the same team as they were when he got there. TD still had Robinson and a great GM staff that built a team around him, Shaq had a team that was being built around Kobe later on. Shaq went to Miami who also was barely over a 40 win team.

Once again not taking anything away from TD because he is a great player and when this generations greats are listed he is the PF standing next to Shaq in the starting line up. Just pointing out the differences in their careers and how they both met these great feats in different ways. Still does not diminish what TD or Shaq has done.

Ryoga Hibiki · Post #19 » by **Ryoga Hibiki** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 9:55 am

Puertorique wrote:Not to bash on TD because he does deserve the acolade. However he came into his career differently then Shaq did. For instance he already had David Robinson. Shaq was drafted to Orlando who had Nick Anderson. Shaq went to the Lakers who werent the same team as they were when he got there.

The Magic won 50 only after penny was drafted, and the Lakers won 53 the year before he arrived.

shawngoat23 · Post #20 » by **shawngoat23** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 9:55 am

shaqfan1 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

He's not getting credit for this season. His streak ended last season when the Heat finished 44-38.

I see. That's pretty impressive then.

I thought Rodman would be up there as well, as he's arguably the greatest role player ever. But apparently, the late Bad Boy Pistons had two forgettable years.