Is Shaq the strongest in the NBA, history?

[therealbig3]

I think it's Shaq. Wilt was probably strong as hell...but hard for me to imagine he was on Shaq's level.

BTW, people saying Ben Wallace or Dwight Howard...really? The fact is, they're smaller and can't bully people as much as Shaq could. Yeah, you could say pound for pound, they might be stronger than Shaq, but if that's the criteria...didn't Earl Boykins bench like 350? Bottom line, Shaq was more of a physical force than those two by a clear margin.

[SunsRback4Good]

Ben Wallace says hi.

Totally forgot about him. I wish he had some sort of offensive game but defensively he was great.

[tsherkin]

There are a couple of guys in this discussion. Shaq is one of them. Wilt has to be another, as does Artis Gilmore.

I think that Shaq's overall mass, in combination with his strength, makes his realized basketball power greater than anything Wilt was capable of managing... but I wouldn't suggest that Shaq was a TON more potent in that respect than Lakers Wilt. I do think that Shaq's base was more powerful than Wilt and that this was the difference. There are various stories and referenced truths about Wilt that make it abundantly clear that he was basically he strongest guy in the league during his career and he was all into weight training well before it became widespread in the league, plus he had a great deal of natural physical talent.

But Shaq's a freak athletic specimen who, in some ways, is even more insane than Wilt. Chamberlain's cardio and such outstrip what Shaq showed, but in terms of power on a basketball court? Shaq as a rookie weighed what Wilt weighed at his peak, AND he was really strong. Shaq in his hey-day? There's no way that he starts throwing around his +30-pound frame with that kind of strength and that Wilt outstrips him in basketball power, IMHO. Wilt would have the best chance of anyone at containing Shaq, and I mean his length and foot speed would be boons to him in the same way as they were for someone like David Robinson, so Wilt would be up there and wouldn't get Ostertag'd in a matchup with Shaq, but I don't think he was quite as powerful. That said, power and strength aren't exactly the same thing, so it's worth defining what we're discussing.

[doozyj]

Bulk/size doesn't necessarily mean stronger, it just means Shaq was bigger, and IMO he probably was nowhere in the type of shape, strength and conditioning that Howard is/was.

I think it's important to distinguish between generic weight-lifting strength and the power applicable to the sport you're in. In tennis for example, Rafa can probably out-lift the other top players, but Andy Roddick can serve much harder and therefore is more of a power player.

In basketball strength is your ability to push other people out of the way, and that has not only a lot to do with sheer size but density. A shorter guy like Barkley can really get a lot of leverage because of his substantial mass in a more compact frame.

I don't really have any doubt at all that if Shaq & Wilt were going up for a rebound, Shaq would be the one who could push Wilt out of the way. (This doesn't mean Shaq's a better rebounder of course, there's a lot more to that than strength, but Wilt would be the better rebounder in SPITE of his lacking basketball power.)

So yeah, in terms of power on the basketball court, it's clearly Shaq at the apex.

Makes perfect sense.

[Minge]

Ben Wallace says hi.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNn9dKBb24Y[/youtube]

[D.Brasco]

Wilt practically became an amateur bodybuilder towards the end of his career and after retirement. I mean arnold the king of bodybuilding just had an interview of how he worked out with wilt and was very impressed with his strength and how it was up there with the top bodybuilders.

Shaq is terms of pure bulk was enormous but in actual strength wilt hands down.

Here's the interview but then again what does arnold schwarzenegger know about strength training and bodybuilding right?


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzIu7o5NH1k[/youtube]

[aal04]

Wilt Bench = 500lb
Arny Bench = 500lb
B wallace Bench = 460lb
Ron Artest bench = 460lb
Shaq bench = 455lb
LBJ Bench = 390lb
Dwight bench = 365lb
Bobkins bench = 300lb
Andre Iguodala bench = 185lb
** George Bush bench = 185lb
Durant bench = 145lb

Bare in mind most of these guys are on the juice

[Buckeyevstworld]

Ben Wallace says hi.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNn9dKBb24Y[/youtube]

Back when Wade had a small jaw.

The mid-2000s were fun.>.>

[franktony]

That block on Shaq was amazing

Ben Wallace was a beast back then

[TheXFactor]

Wilt Bench = 500lb
Arny Bench = 500lb
B wallace Bench = 460lb
Ron Artest bench = 460lb
Shaq bench = 455lb
LBJ Bench = 390lb
Dwight bench = 365lb
Bobkins bench = 300lb
Andre Iguodala bench = 185lb
** George Bush bench = 185lb
Durant bench = 145lb

Bare in mind most of these guys are on the juice

As for Wilt, he was a beast.

Pretty crazy Artest can out bench Shaq

[serevei]

dwight isn't even the strongest in the league today for goodness sake... Nikola Pekovic says g'day

[djay]

People keep forgetting for Shaq to carry those weight and move around like he does, his skeleton and base MUST be superb. I doubt Wilt can carry those weight 350lbs+ and move like he does. It's impossible! Shaq is a one unique basketball speciman. He just on another level by himself as far as basketball power goes.

[KyletheDingbat]

(hulk voice) Shaq is strongest there is!

[bledredwine]

Wilt easy.

[MilBucksBackOnTop06]

No...hell no!

Not even close.

Artis Gilmore, Calvin Natt, Michael Cage, Karl Malone, Nate Thurmond, Wes Unseld, Wayne Embry, Wilt, and many more who played in the ABA I have to go look at their names.

Guys back in the day were country strong, not weight lifting or strong because they are big strong... there is a big difference. Many players were naturally strong back then and knew how to use their strength.

Even guys like Tom Boerwinkle of the Bulls. Bob Lanier. Zelmo Beatty. Jeff Ruland. Shaq might not have been the strongest Laker. George Mikan was strong too.

Paul Silas. Tree Rollins, Darryl Dawkings, George McGinnis, Dave Cowens, James Donaldson, Elvin Hayes. Marvin Webster, Swen Nater. Greg Kite. Aryvadas Sabonis. Loads of guys. In his era perhaps but not of all time imo.

No I've seen stronger players. Don't confuse being bigger or even taller at times with being stronger.

[misterrunon]

can't believe anybody would say wilt. maybe he was strong, but he was playing against guys who wouldn't even make it to the NCAA today.

in the league he played in, he was the shaq of his age. but shaq is just shaq.

[MilBucksBackOnTop06]

can't believe anybody would say wilt. maybe he was strong, but he was playing against guys who wouldn't even make it to the NCAA today.

in the league he played in, he was the shaq of his age. but shaq is just shaq.

Are you kidding me!

Wilt was a legit strong player. I think you need to go back and look again.Wilt was stronger and he did not play with anyone who was as strong. He would throw Shaq around like a paper doll in his prime...but he had a soft heart.

You are mistaken my friend. I've seen battles where Wilt and Nate Thurmond were wars. Also another guy I had forgot to mention was Clifford Ray.

Hell of a strong man and player. Guys are not built as tough as they were back in the 70's who did not have all this modern technology and sophisticated equipment like today. They ate, got their rest and worked out.

[MilBucksBackOnTop06]

It's kind of a difficult question to answer because it's possible that there's a player out there that sat on the bench or never got the chance to play that could have been stronger than Shaq, but had no skills or were too immobile to play the game of basketball. Glen Davis picked up Shaq in a friendly wrestling match and slammed him into the ground. As far as star players are concerned, yeah, probably, and I'm a Wilt believer.

Absolutely. And I just listed about 20 of them. Shaq was bulky but there were guys back in the day that he would not bully...

TRUST ME. Some of you do not go back far enough but you might be right about Wilt he was stronger but Shaq would have to make him mad for Wilt to use his strength over him.

There is no Wilt in Shaq's era to handle him and to rightly compare to him. Just like today the game is different where you can't touch anyone like LeBron.

Put Lebron in the 70's and 80's and change the rules and take out the flagrant foul factor back to where you can bump, bang and steer he would half the player he is today and he would be slowed down.

You can't get physical with anyone in today's game.

[djay]

can't believe anybody would say wilt. maybe he was strong, but he was playing against guys who wouldn't even make it to the NCAA today.

in the league he played in, he was the shaq of his age. but shaq is just shaq.

Are you kidding me!

Wilt was a legit strong player. I think you need to go back and look again.Wilt was stronger and he did not play with anyone who was as strong. He would throw Shaq around like a paper doll in his prime...but he had a soft heart.

You are mistaken my friend. I've seen battles where Wilt and Nate Thurmond were wars. Also another guy I had forgot to mention was Clifford Ray.

Hell of a strong man and player. Guys are not built as tough as they were back in the 70's who did not have all this modern technology and sophisticated equipment like today. They ate, got their rest and worked out.

I think I just choke blood on my nose after reading this RIDICULOUS statement. What's a JOKE!

[Ginobili20]

Nikola Pekovic!