@Shaq vs Hakeem - Who Was Better? Rockets at Magic Christmas Day, 1995

FOLLOW: bballSource
Coach Nick goes into the vault to break down this great regular season game and rematch of the 1995 Finals, where Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neill went after each other down low.

[@Asbestiss]

I would take hakeem any day of the week. He is my favorite player in nba history

[@Jordan-th3pr]

@All Things Basketball Kareem has the greatest accolades for any player but the best I don't know.

[@younebi]

When you watch Shaq, you go "Whoa!"... He was a monster! But When you watch Hakeem, you learn basketball. They were the best in their own ways.

[@mtbrider6119]

Is your comment supposed to be a joke? Because it couldn't be further from the truth.

[@mtbrider6119]

Is your comment supposed to be a joke? Because it couldn't be further from the truth.

[@mtbrider6119]

I guess you don't have anything better to do than make foolish comments.

[@richardsaxon5768]

younebi when you watch shaq you say 'wow', when you watch hakeem you say 'how?'

[@melvynsngltn27]

Shaq was a better player Hakeem was a better shot blocker & had fancy moves

[@boektcity]

Hakeem is the best center ever imo, he had 2 from the 5 quadruple doubles in nba history.

[@nickg.7916]

gerizzyYMcrew fuck you

[@bballbreakdown]

For sure.

[@humprythelazer1158]

***** he has 1

[@boektcity]

HUMPRY THE LAZER He has 2, one on March 29, 1990 vs the Bucks and one on March 3, 1990 vs the Warriors

[@boektcity]

HUMPRY THE LAZER Here are both stat lines: 18 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, 11 blocks 29 points, 18 rebounds, 10 assists, 11 blocks

[@Its4RealNotAPhase]

Even Shaq admitted that Hakeem was better than him. Still Shaq was a dominant force. The ultimate center would be Shaq's physique with Hakeem's repertoire and touch. Would really like to see someone like that!

[@andreialexandruparfeni7129]

Quizmaster81 Wilt? He had the touch and he was super athletic.

[@xman2738]

Quizmaster81 Hakeem was more athletic more smarter and more skilled. Shaq only had power. Hakeem always owned him!

[@youre100right3]

Quizmaster81 That person existed.... he was called Wilt Chamberlain. Had an array of offensive techniques but was quicker than Hakeem (speed and agility) and by far the strongest guy that ever played in the NBA.

[@melvynsngltn27]

When did Hakeem own Shaq. Hakeem out Shaq 13x a game & Outscored him by 4 pts a game Wow. Olajuwon was out rebounded, had less assist & Blocks than O'neal. How many bad games did Shaq ever have against Hakeem. Hakeem was Shut down down the Lakers in both 1990 & 1991 playoffs, Shutdown by Seattle in 1993 & 1996. Had was very good Shaq was better. No way Houston beats the Tim Duncan, D. Robinson Spurs. Or Sacramento Kings 2001 or 2002 or 2005 or 2007 Suns, 2006 Dallas, 2004- 2006 Detroit Pistons or 1989 or 1990 Pistons

[@calebroca5134]

Melvyn Singleton Hakeem swept shaq in the finals what are you talking about? Man cooked shaq all series go and watch the games

[@usafo6885]

Coach Nick, although seemingly unimaginative, the mid 1990s offenses were a direct result of the horrendous illegal defense rules. With these rules, there was little incentive for weak side movement as you could place three men above the free throw line extendednd and acquire a two man post up isolation without movement. Defenses either double teamed the post (only after the offensive player caught the ball) or lived with a steady diet of one on one post ups. This offensive style dominated until the NBA changed illegal defense rules (2001) ending the 1977-2001 reign of Iso post ups. Now we have an equally boring diet of pick and rolls, and the total extinction of the dominant big man.

[@elvero666]

Lol somehow a perfect sum up of 4 decades of NBA basketball :)

[@kefkapalazzo1]

+jerry weihe lol i love how you shit on both sets of rules

[@SniffyPoo]

good riddance, pick-n-roll's are about 10,000 times more visually interesting than watching 2 guys play one-on-one while 8 others stand around.

[@devvv4616]

^well it was beautiful when Hakeem did it lol

[@JruJewJitsu]

People literally believe big men got worse lmao. Bigs are so much more skilled now, maybe not as polished in the post but the athletic ability and ball skills of bigs today would dazzle classic bigs. Shaq is a generational talent, he would be great today. I dont think he would have put on all the extra bulk and he'd have kept all of his insane athletic ability.

[@AbdiqalisMohamud010]

Woah you Hakeem haters are funny asf. Hakeem is top 5 centers and top 12 all time. He was the most skilled. Shaq is top 5 centers and top 12 all time. Just admire their greatnesses

[@TheDudeAbides1998]

Abdiqalis Mohamud Hakeem is better than Shaq though.

[@Isaac-mk3wj]

+EmperorJBO lol

[@davidanthony6359]

Abdiqalis Mohamud Hakeem was better at defense as well top ten in steals!! At center!

[@rasaecnai]

it's sad that penny hardaway seems almost forgotten

[@bballbreakdown]

Relive Shaq vs Hakeem from a game in 1995! #YOUIN

[@nbagoats4819]

You failed to mentioned Drexler. Drexler averaged more points than any player outside of Shaq.

[@perezfinichames]

@@nbagoats4819 I didn't see Drexler in any of the footage. Maybe he missed this game due to injury. I don't remember after all these years.

[@perezfinichames]

You probably don't even remeber this video after all these years, BUT the Rockets almost always went under screens at the time. They wouldn't trap the ball handler or switch or go over the top. They went under just about every time against every opponent. So their handling of screens wasn't unique to this particular game.

[@andrewtataj497]

I dunno about boring, I enjoy post/power basketball. May be predictable in what happens, but I love watching the footwork and defensive adjustments in having to deal with a dominant low-post scorer.

[@WH15P3R3R]

You and me both brotha. Hakeem's post moves were magical and I hope Jahlil and KAT revive the postup big man

[@TheSands83]

It’s better than the flop fest dribble fest 3 pt contest it’s became today

[@bballbreakdown]

Thanks! We've got a ton of old games to breakdown, so stay tuned

[@joewas]

in my heart i was crying out for a retrobreakdown and you delivered . thank you coach nick

[@JamesMurphy88]

Its great to see some of these retro breakdowns coach! Very enjoyable!

[@bballbreakdown]

Awesome, we'll have lots more RetroBreakdowns coming up this summer...

[@tubenachos]

No arena can contain Shaq and Hakeem's awesomeness.

[@DGMrpoetry]

Great video, I truly enjoyed this old school look and breakdown.. Please keep these coming.

[@ewetewbh]

Absolutely love these kinds of breakdowns.

[@samwich852]

Love this footage and the accompanying analysis!

[@denselross]

Maaan, thank you so much for doing my request coach Nick! Best basketball channel on KZbin!

[@tkwc2]

Thanks coach! Shaq and Penny gave Magic fans the best time, and Penny will always be my favourite player of all time, even though he will never be considered the best especially after all the injuries.

[@hartsickdisciple]

Olajuwon was the best. I have a hard time respecting Shaq's game because he scored literally half of his points on offensive fouls that went uncalled. I never realized how bad Horry's defense was.. wow.

[@hartsickdisciple]

***** They were bullshitting us. It was really easy to see him throwing elbows in defender's faces. It was equally easy to see him physically displacing stationary defenders with his massive weight and strength. Those are both offensive fouls. Shaq didn't do as much of that when he was in Orlando. He still committed a lot of uncalled charges, but not nearly as many as in his LA/Miami days.

[@hartsickdisciple]

gerizzyYMcrew Wilt Chamberlain was stronger than everyone else. He didn't use his strength to shove people under the basket and elbow them in the face. Shaq threw his weight around. That's not basketball. If you can't control your strength and weight, and physically displace stationary defenders, it IS your fault. That's an offensive foul. In basketball you're required to go around, over, or under defenders... not through them. Shaq got away with murder. There is no excuse for it.

[@m3gusta17]

gerizzyYMcrew lmao is that a joke? You realize Wilt was one of the greatest all-around athletes ever? He could run, he could high-jump, he played volleyball and basketball like an utter beast, and you say Shaq's faster than him? Shaq at his fastest was probably slower than Wilt at his slowest. And you're saying all this BS that Wilt had the arms of a twig, yet Arnold Schwarzenegger mentioned that Wilt was absurdly strong, but that people didn't know about it because he didn't play by abusing his strength (except in rebounding situations where he could literally bowl over three people at once just by jumping). He played practically every minute of every game one season, only fouling out in one of them (aka he could dominate WHILE following the game's rules). Do your research before you talk.

[@hartsickdisciple]

gerizzyYMcrew You're delusional. Wilt was a world-class athlete. You should probably do some research on his life and accomplishments before talking any more on the subject.

[@hartsickdisciple]

gerizzyYMcrew What the hell are you talking about? He is arguably the greatest player in NBA history. He scored 100 points in a game. He averaged over 50 points and 25 rebounds per game for a whole season. Any argument you might have is invalid.

[@5uckk]

MOAR! This is an awesome breakdown.

[@dominicvl1990]

you are the best public basketball analyst. thank you for sharing your knowledge freely.

[@Lovlee33161]

Brought back so many memoirs. I loved that magic team in the 93-96 era. So much untapped potential. Hakeem had so much skill in the post that's non existent in today's perimeter oriented league.thanks for this vid coach nick. .

[@dapper-Dan]

Would love a breakdown comparing NBA defenses. Changed a lot from the 80, to 90's to now. I watched the MJ 63 games vs. Boston a couple weeks ago and couldn't believe how bad the defense in that game was. I counted 3 times where Bill Walton was guarding MJ 1on1 on an island, that was hilarious.

[@MrHardkohr]

i love these types of breakdowns

[@megadriver23]

Excellent BreakDown Coach Nick!!!

[@plemmotbabber]

These videos you post are always so insightful. I appreciate what you do and I'm glad to be a subscriber. Learning more every video.

[@bballbreakdown]

I don't have an games from that series, but I'll keep my eye out for it

[@Bist040]

This is awesome coach, please do more. :)

[@ThenaZZgul]

Great job coach, cant wait for your next breakdown! :)

[@TheTurtle1100]

im 14 and never got to see basketball like this. its so different now. its also pretty cool that there was more than one really good big man in the league, you had shaq, hakeem, ewing, malone etc. now you just got dwight.

[@dolpoobniala8765]

Coach Nick, the reason why the post was very attractive was that zone was illegal at that time. The defense was required to double aggressively or not double team at all. If you can't play single coverage at the post, you give up open threes. That was how it was back then. In our local league in the Philippines, we saw a lot of point guards posting up the opposing point guards. It almost looks comical but at times it could be effective.

[@moimasiclat]

Coach, please keep these retro breakdowns coming! And are you going to analyze the recent moves of players including key free agent moves? Thanks coach!

[@bballbreakdown]

Absolutely. Only guy the Bulls feared having to play...

[@jae2067]

YES! I LOVE IT COACH NICK! MORE CLASSIC BREAKDOWNS

[@gmb115lmb]

Love your break-down of the game... Plz post more videos like this for the BASKETBALL JUNKIES

[@tenzinalexander8832]

Lol, Coach Nick at 4:04 : "So I almost fell off my chair when I saw Houston bringing the horns"

[@riggygoyal]

+Tenzin Alexander (Poeticas) "break into horns"

[@fredkruse9444]

"Horns" is a very common play in basketball.

[@illmuchi]

Shaq added a lot to his game after he was swept by the Rockets. Hakeem showed Shaq that he would need more then a big physical body.

[@louismclean6662]

Yeah it was called Kobe Bryant. May he rest in peace

[@danielclark1247]

Shaq said himself Hakeem's the best

[@telj1]

Wow... you just mad me realize how much my understanding of the game has grown. Thank you!!!! #coachingnmyfuture??

[@bballbreakdown]

Great question... Hard to choose, they both had similar strengths...

[@ChrisM07]

He's acting like Shaq didn't have good role players, all teams that win championships have good teams overall. Shaq had a superstar guard and good role players to go with that too.

[@leemandog]

i was sooooooooooo hoping you'd so something on hakeem! he's my favourite!! thanks coach nick man!!!!!

[@noize358]

You Sir, are obviously a b-ball sensei, so im pretty sure that in one point in your life, you stumbled on, or at lest heard of serbian school of basketball, and seen some of the great players from Serbia play... but thats not that important, just had to mention that people here recognize and appreciate others that love and understand this game... and your love of the game is contagious! You made so many things that go on the court in the NBA very clear and understandable! Peace n respect!

[@bballbreakdown]

We'll look into it, see what we can come up with. Thx

[@bballbreakdown]

Such a shame we didn't see him in his prime in the NBA.

[@bballbreakdown]

He's never in the conversation about great guards anymore

[@ChrisM07]

Also forgot to mention that Shaq would go scoreless for long stretches in those series he lost pre-Phil Jackson, you can't just go by his shooting %, you have to actually watch the sames and witness him disappearing for long periods of time in those games . Back to Shaq's free throw problems in the 4th quarter Portland also tried this strategy against him in 2000, the difference was Shaq actually made his free throws in that series.

[@m0oop]

how can people say shaq was overrated? please, go to basketball reference and actually do some research. then compare to other all time great centers.

[@TheDudeAbides1998]

James Long The fact is, Shaq isn't all that skilled. And clearly needed all time great shooting guards in their prime to win and add the fact all the great big men were either too old or retired when he won.. Shaq is useless 8 feet and above. Not a great defensive player, one of the worst pick and roll defenders, can't leave him in the game at certain points especially if the game is on the line (huge liability). Basketball reference doesn't tell you that. You have to actually watch the games to understand what I said. This is why Shaq is overrated. Especially being ranked ahead of Hakeem? Dream>Shaq

[@m0oop]

I do think Dream was better than Shaq, but you're making it sound like Shaq was rather overrated. Shaq is a top 5 all time center and a top 15 all time player

[@TheDudeAbides1998]

James Long When people put him above Hakeem and Kobe, I'd say he is overrated.

[@tenzinalexander8832]

Man those were good days to be a Magic fan. Horace Grant == one of the most underrated players! That was a great frontcourt, Grant & Shaq.

[@dobz746]

Actually coach the reason why they posted up Mark Bryant several times down the stretch is to get Shaq his 6th foul. And its also why he was also switched to Horry in the end to avoid his 6th foul. Its really crazy then that around 60-70% of players posted up back then. Reason for it is because of the illegal defense rules and very few players really in the 90's can break down defenses hence the post up plays unlike with todays players almost all can break down defenses by driving the lane. I think its also one of the reasons they eliminated that illegal defense rules is because the offense gets stagnant and almost all teams do is one on one and post plays either to wait for the hard double to pass or take the defensive player to school. Keep up this posts I'm learning a lot thanks!

[@bballbreakdown]

Working on it, next week

[@bandass]

That dream shake tho. My jaw is still on the floor. And the jump spin makes sense now

[@pie333cool]

I already know that this is gonna be great

[@MenSenzg]

True, I just wanted to express how much I loved Penny's game. I think he was ahead of his time back than..

[@MJ_3192]

great breakdown. where's the new Brooklyn Nets vs Heat breakdown? Looking forward to that one!

[@JackEstacio]

I haven't seen Magic Shaq play and Penny Hardaway and Hakeem. This breakdown gave me goosebumps.

[@houwie300]

Who was better? That question can only be asked by people who didn't follow the NBA back then :)

[@lexbogie1]

Lol

[@MrSPIDEY21]

Saibot H wilt

[@dodgson1832]

Ran out of space but also wanted to say I love the videos.

[@des8893]

posting up in basketball is like running the ball in football. it isn't always "exciting", but it's effective and it tests the opponent's toughness

[@AirMambaProductions]

Coach Nick, can you do more Shaquille O'Neal breakdown? Maybe the Kobe Bryant w/ Shaq vs Wade w/ Shaq

[@bballbreakdown]

Thanks!

[@John仰望十架的栋栋]

i would say post moves are classic and never feel boring about it.

[@deadlyshooter2031]

Coach, more classic breakdowns!

[@munclesonkey]

Well in 1995 Hakeem was clearly the better center. I believe Shaq was slightly more... Unstoppable deep in the paint than Hakeem was. But Hakeem was clearly the better all around center.

[@melvynsngltn27]

Better defensively that's it. Rebounding the were the same. Scoring wise O'neal was more prolific, assist the same.

[@callumissocoollikf]

great breakdown!

[@jtroberts16]

Really wish I could see centers like Hakeem, David Robinson, and 2000-2002 Shaq play in today's game

[@bballbreakdown]

ESPN Classic airs them all the time...

[@ChrisM07]

Shaq was bigger than everyone guarding him, he's supposed to shoot at a better percentage. The point everyone is telling shaqpopcorn or whatever he goes by is that Shaq wasn't better in crunch time then. Shaq didn't even make the damn first team until his top 3 threats at the Center position all started slowing down, Robinson was still effective but Duncan showed that he was the better go to guy that year. He never even answered me when I told him this, he know what the deal is lol.

[@ethanrobbins1997]

Thx coach. Love your videos

[@panagiotisatmatzidis9972]

The analysis if beyond ridiculous but nice to see Olajuwon in action again.

[@MrAljo9]

Please do more breakdowns like this

[@jackstephens7805]

Shaw-Shaq Redemption.......ahahahahh good one coach

[@clasher101]

nice breakdown coach, who do you think would have had a better career barring injury penny or hill?

[@Silverdudespolicy]

coach watching from all these centers and PFs, who do you think is the most skilled bigman in the NBA right now? and follow-up which bigman do you think can be the leading scorer on a championship team right now?

[@nbagoats4819]

Houston had legendary role players. Perhaps some of the best ever assembled on one team. Shaq has his rings to show he played with another good player. Hakeem has his.

[@Algorithmresistant]

MORE OF THESE!!!!

[@treckter66]

I see you with that fresh cut

[@jmanjumpman]

Dream is the most underrated player ever and it bugs the hell out of me. His skill was unprecedented and undeniable. He is the most complete center ever and imo a top 5 player. The thing about shaq is that in his prime he was as effective as any player to ever play the game. He sheer power, and force made him unstoppable in his prime. Not one of the more skilled centers, but one of the most effective.

[@WastingTimeHandle]

It's tough to say who was better... I'd have to say I prefer Hakeem though, his skills in the post were unbelievable and amazing to watch at times

[@sircjgentleman]

Hakeem. Not even a debate. Hakeem's a better defender, free throw shooter, offensive player, passer, and rebounder. Hakeem could shoot the mid-range jumper, took the post-up game to the next level, and could handle the ball in most situations. I think Shaq is one of the best to do it...but not on Hakeem's level.

[@slats555]

Love this, thankyou

[@patchman232]

turn around floater thing......haha love it!

[@kefkapalazzo1]

More old shaq breakdowns this summer please

[@rossselection1032]

Truly underrated...

[@stacksondeck34]

baballbreakdown, who was better in this particular game between hakeem and shaq? how well did they guard each other?

[@bballbreakdown]

Hakeem had 30 and 6 assists in this game. He didn't look great the whole game, but he outplayed Shaq

[@rafacanseco]

i just fall in love with hakeem footwork and post moves...

[@ChrisM07]

They were still role players, just like no one expected the Mavericks to win the championship no one expected the Rockets to win either because of the old saying "You need at least 2 stars to win". The Mavericks, Rockets, and Pistons w/ Larry Brown were exceptions, not the rule.

[@8083]

someone should make a compilation of all the time coach nick says: "can you here me shaking my head"

[@MVPBallingD.Rose96]

nice video...can we get more videos like this

[@KentuckyFriedWalrus]

hey coach. whats your opinion on Mark Price? was he an effective point guard and do you think he could have gone down as one of the all time greats had he been placed on a better team?

[@ChrisM07]

Also Houston put a tougher fight against Utah in the WCF '97 than the Lakers did in '98. The Jazz won 7 more games than the Rockets and Stockton was on fire that series yet the Rockets took them to 6 games and only got eliminated in Game 6 by a buzzer beater. In '98 the Lakers had 4 All-Star, were only 1 game behind the Jazz, and Stockton was struggling in the playoffs that year, yet the Jazz win in 4 without breaking a sweat. Tell me who was better at getting their teammates involved then?

[@MenSenzg]

What you mean by "you might not remember him so much"..? I do, Penny was just phenomenal! Really too bad that he never really recoverd from his injury..

[@ChrisM07]

Look how fucking big Shaq is though, at 7'1 and over 300 lbs he should be scoring a lot and pulling down rebounds. Most of Shaq's points were usually near the basket, he didn't shoot outside the basket a lot. The difference was that Shaq was not good in crunch time.

[@AQGOAT24]

People do. The stats don't lie. Shaq was an absolute beast, and he dominated on a level only comparable to Jordan during his prime years in LA. 30+ PER multiple seasons, more WS than Hakeem, higher TS%, had a 30ppg and 16 board finals etc. Shaq also lasted longer in the NBA and still was productive for a long time. Shaq had a lot of skill that people sell short, because of their 90's bias.

[@AQGOAT24]

Shaq still dominated, those players and put up huge numbers, and stats do matter more than most things. Most fans have biases and are prone to irrational picks. Shaq faced off against other Big Men such as Duncan as well. Plus Shaq did play against defensive forces such as Ben Wallace as well. Shaq also dominated Mutombo as well. Divac played during Hakeem's era as well. Shaq still led the league in scoring and was still on Hakeem's level during the era.

[@nbagoats4819]

Offensively, if Hakeem were so unstoppable in the scoring department, I would have hoped he'd score more 25+ ppg more than 4 times in his 19-year-career (I believe it's 19) while Shaq has done that for a decade straight and at a more efficient rate. It's also odd to penalize Shaq's "offensive fouls" when Hakeem turned the ball over even more than Shaq. Shaq averaged 28 points on 59.5% shooting, 12.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in the 95 Finals vs Hakeem. Shaq was an absolute Monster.

[@bballbreakdown]

I'm certain the Bulls would've beaten them the 1st year, even WITHOUT Michael Jordan. Shame Hue Hollins (RIP) had to make that call on Scottie in Game 5 vs Knicks

[@melvynsngltn27]

Shaq didn't make very team causes they didn't want to. 1994 Shaq 2nd in scoring 29.3pts. 2nd in rbs 13.4, Hakeem 1st team 27.3 pts, 11.9 rbs, 2nd team D.Rob 29.8 pts led league, 10.8 rbs, 1995 Shaq 29.3 pts, 11.4 rbs 2nd team D.Rob first team & MVP 27.6 pts 10.8 rbs, 1996 & 1997 Shaq missed 28 games & 31, Averaged 26.6 pts 12.5 rbs, 26.3 pts 12.0 rbs, Clearly by 1994 he was the most productive & by 1996 the best center

[@ernestboykin2581]

Melvyn Singleton thank u man been saying that for 21 years lol