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

Bluesky · by **Andrew** on Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:15 pm

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.

by **erik_twism** on Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:36 pm

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)

Bluesky · by **Andrew** on Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:41 pm

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.

by **erik_twism** on Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:59 pm

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.

by **Jackal** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 12:01 am

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.

Bluesky · by **Andrew** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 12:13 am

erik_twism wrote: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.

by **erik_twism** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 12:32 am

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

by **Cleveland wins** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:29 am

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.

by **Alejandrov011** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:33 am

Cleveland wins wrote: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?

by **Cleveland wins** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:42 am

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

by **Jackal** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:44 am

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

Thanks, I needed that.

by **kevC** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:19 am

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

by **cyanide** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:46 am

Cleveland wins wrote: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.

by **OrlMagic** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:58 am

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

by **Cleveland wins** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:08 am

cyanide wrote:
Cleveland wins wrote: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.

by **Oskar** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:24 am

Cleveland wins wrote:
cyanide wrote:
Cleveland wins wrote: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.

by **Alejandrov011** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:29 am

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

by **Oskar** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:40 am

Alejandrov011 wrote: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 ?

by **Kbryant8** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:48 am

Canadian = nash.

by **tee-pane** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:58 am

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

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

by **Alejandrov011** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:13 am

hahaha

I love you Oskar

by **bowdown** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:36 am

we still have no word on how his ass tastes

by **Lamrock** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:48 am

Oskar wrote:
Alejandrov011 wrote: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.

by **Matthew** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:09 pm

Lamrock wrote:
Oskar wrote:
Alejandrov011 wrote: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.

by **erik_twism** on Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:24 pm

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.

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

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

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