Shaq: I'm Still NBA's Best Big Man

Article @ RealGM

Suns' center Shaquille O'Neal still believes that he is the NBA's best big man.

"Because I've done the most," O'Neal said. "I'm not worried about guys winning dunk contests and doing stuff like that. You still have to outdo the shogun to become the shogun. When I leave, it'll be because my time is up, not because someone is outplaying me or someone has done more than me. The only one who has even done close, and I don't really consider him a center, is Mr. (Tim) Duncan. Any other center, the things that they have done, I invented."

O'Neal is entering his seventeenth season in the league.

Guess he's entitled to his opinion and it would be boring if players didn't say colourful things from time to time but there's a point where it gets a bit silly and I'd say Shaq has passed that now. He has a fair point if he's comparing careers but when it comes to who's the best right now, it's what he does next that matters, not what he's already done.

I guess he means he´s the best center (best career) that is still playing and i definetly agree on that, most people forget how dominant he was all the years (and how sucessful) just look at his statlines if you compare D12´s best statline 21/14/1,3 Ast/ 2Blk (most dominant center right now) with Shaq´s career line 25/12/2,7Ast/2,4Blk (even after his subpar last years) you can clearly see that Shaq is right. And even now he´s stil on of the top bigmen (I would say number 3, behind D12 and Yao)

I don't think that's what he's saying; at least the way he worded it sounds like he's saying he's still the best big man in the league because he's had the best career.

I don´t think he believes he´s still the best individual player.
"You still have to outdo the shogun to become the shogun" I guess he means that the other centers have to achieve something to call themselves better then O´neal. The stat´s are not everything and certainly not the best way to say who is the better player for a team.

I too think he's talking about overall, not at the moment. He knows when to say he's not the best player anymore, he was quite open about that with Wade.

People make too much out of Shaq talking. Said today, forgotten tomorrow.

I guess he means that the other centers have to achieve something to call themselves better then O´neal.

Which is fair enough if you're talking about their careers but if you're simply talking about who's the best right now then current performance is the only relevant criteria. If Howard puts up 20-10 this year and Shaq puts up 10 and 8 then Howard is the player who had the better 2008/2009 campaign, regardless of how many rings Shaq has won.

I definetly agree on that but I can´t imagine that Shaq think´s he is better than Howard.

Shaq was the best big man in the league lets put it that way, the thing is that you should ask, what have you done for me now? He can still score, and rebound but he hasn't won a championship since leaving la. If we're talking about the past then yes, he is the best big man in the nba, but that's all in the past. Shaq is way past his prime with nagging injuries.

Shaq was the best big man in the league lets put it that way, the thing is that you should ask, what have you done for me now? He can still score, and rebound but he hasn't won a championship since leaving la. If we're talking about the past then yes, he is the best big man in the nba, but that's all in the past. Shaq is way past his prime with nagging injuries.

Sure?



Did you hear Miami Heat?

I'm a heat fan but i forgot, did shaq play for the heat when the heat won the title? Hm...

did shaq play for the heat when the heat won the title?

Thanks, I needed that.

I'm a Rockets fan but i forgot, whats the name of that big ass chinese guy?

I'm a heat fan but i forgot, did shaq play for the heat when the heat won the title? Hm...

Did you know that Shawn Marion is on the Heat? Yeah, he doesn't play for the Suns anymore. FYI.

Howard and Yao are now better , but Shaq have best career.

I'm a heat fan but i forgot, did shaq play for the heat when the heat won the title? Hm...

Did you know that Shawn Marion is on the Heat? Yeah, he doesn't play for the Suns anymore. FYI.

Yeah i know about marion, and i think the reason why they got marion is so that they can have somebody to stop lebron james who plays for my former home town and my favorite team the cleveland cavs.

I'm a heat fan but i forgot, did shaq play for the heat when the heat won the title? Hm...

Did you know that Shawn Marion is on the Heat? Yeah, he doesn't play for the Suns anymore. FYI.

Yeah i know about marion, and i think the reason why they got marion is so that they can have somebody to stop lebron james who plays for my former home town and my favorite team the cleveland cavs.

I think the Raptors got Jermaine O'Neal so that they can have somebody to stop Kevin Garnett.

I'm a Suns fan and i forgot who is the Point Guard, a canadian one

I'm a Suns fan and i forgot who is the Point Guard, a canadian one

Dragic is slovenian not canadian .. and you claim to be a fan ?

Canadian = nash.

Howard and Yao are now better , but Shaq have best career.

Yes i totally agree! Yao better offensively howard better on defense!

hahaha

I love you Oskar

we still have no word on how his ass tastes

I'm a Suns fan and i forgot who is the Point Guard, a canadian one

Dragic is slovenian not canadian .. and you claim to be a fan ?

Post of the month.

I'm a Suns fan and i forgot who is the Point Guard, a canadian one

Dragic is slovenian not canadian .. and you claim to be a fan ?

Post of the month.

Spam of the month.

I'd put Bynum (or Gasol) ahead of Shaq, as well as Tyson Chandler, and even Marcus Camby ahead of Shaq right now.

I just see Howard and Yao (when healthy) infront of Shaq, don´t look just at the stats it´s also how you change the flow of the game and Shaq is still getting a lot of attention by the defenders and he definetly makes the game easier for Amare.
Tyson and Marcus have nearly no impact on offense (so I say they are not better then Shaq)
Bynum has to show that he´s better but I think that won´t come this season.