Shaquille O'Neal's power & agility made him nearly unstoppable | Greatest Peaks Ep. 9

[@steph899]

There's no way you're thinking of shaq as a great off ball player, these analyses literally never fail to teach me something new about the game or the player. Keep up the excellent work Ben

[@benjaminan1183]

Most think of Shaq as one of the best lob finishers & offensive rebounders, and know he's not a ball handler.

[@SuperCatacata]

You can't be one of the most dominant big men and also be useless off ball. Post game is all about creating space and gaining positioning on your opponent.

[@starkk19]

I'm not sure how he was in Orlando or Miami but the Triangle required him to move off-ball a lot rather than just keep repositioning in the post. It's one of the beauties of the triangle that teams like the Spurs and the Warriors adopted.

[@JayBiggz]

Huh? Getting in position is one of his biggest strengths. If you’re just learning that then you weren’t really aware of his game at all

[@steph899]

No one thinks of him as a Charles Barkley type post player who just backed you down for several seconds before looking to score but to hear that he was arguably the greatest off ball center ever is a huge statement

[@Peter-hx3im]

All this old Sabonis footage reminds me what a tragedy it was that we never got to see prime Sabonis in the NBA.

[@mq830]

Instead we get to see his son, which is a pleasure in itself. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Great basketball talent.

[@xz9z29]

@@mq830 sabonis had the chance to win 10 rings and be the goat if he was as good as people thought he was. he was considered a 7ft2 C with shaq like strength,wilt like athleticism,larry bird 3pt shooting,magic johnson level passing,hakeem defense,kareem post moves. if he turned out like that its game over. his son will never get anywhere near goat status

[@ralx225b]

@@xz9z29 He was not anywhere near as athletic as Wilt.

[@sed1589]

@@xz9z29 that's definitely all just exaggerated. I'm sure he was a phenomenal talent but that's just ridiculous.

[@milosjovicevic6083]

@@xz9z29 Holy shit you are delusional 😂

[@MitchellKeller_]

Man called shaq's opponents "his victims"

[@kalimanj]

🤣😭

[@pickzkickz]

Shaq was Dreams victim.🤣

[@xz9z29]

@@pickzkickz not really. when they met shaq outplayed him multiple times. give me shaq over hakeem any day. all time Lakers PG-Magic SG-Kobe- SF-Lebron PF-Anthony Davis C-Shaq. put that vs the all time rockets team and watch them win by 30😂😂

[@sharifbrown3567]

@@xz9z29 The All Time Rockets team is trash though.

[@xz9z29]

@@sharifbrown3567 now i can tell you know nothing about basketball lol😂😂😂 James harden is avetgaing 15 assists on the nets right now,so PG-Harden, SG-Clyde Drexler, SF-Scottie Pippen PF-Charles Barkley,C-Hakeem. then you have ralph sampson,kenny smith,Russel Westbrook,John Wall,Chris Paul,Dwight howard,christian Wood,demarcus cousins who was a beast before his achilis popped and thats just off the top of my head. im not saying they would beat the loaded lakers team but hakeem often dominated Shaq,and prime harden can abuse magic and drop 40 points. i dont see harden clamping magic tho with his post moves so would be a fun and competitive game. rockets bench has way better scorers and lakers bench has much better defenders.

[@mrmacross]

I remember reading that Shaq purposefully bulked up because other huge centers like Sabonis and Luc Longley had low centers of mass and had success pushing him out of the lane. Kind of wish we had a longer glimpse of Orlando Shaq with the extra mobility, as seen with his career highs in rebounds and blocked shots.

[@coreygolphenee9633]

He's just so fun to watch back to the basket just making dudes fly backwards tho I'll take the tradeoff

[@geordiejones5618]

Young Shaq was crazy its a shame he couldn't win with the Magic

[@jackmclane6961]

If Orlando shaq stayed through his career he’d be Giannis without a jumper, which is an amazing player but I like the brute force Shaq we got

[@Kermit_T_Frog]

His defense dropped off of the map. No way that he could play at that weight today. He'd be killed on switches. And and no way he could have played in the Bill Russell era. They'd have run him off of the court.

[@MrShanester117]

By bulked up you mean he ate a lot and stopped working out right?

[@migueldejesus9234]

The Basketbal Yokozuna is by far the most perfect description of Shaquille I have ever stumbled upon in my nearly three decades of existence.

[@57wookie]

This episode is a backdoor way of talking about wilt and arvydas sabonis

[@zanderhenderson4561]

Never stop talking bout sabonis

[@JP-jd8wr]

Would've been beautiful to see a prime Sabonis or Wilt vs Shaq

[@princesnowblood6263]

@@zanderhenderson4561 Shaq > Sabonis

[@localneo-graphic4647]

@@princesnowblood6263 Based on his international play and the fact that he was pretty much a crippled old man by the time he was the 'Shaq Stopper', it's hard to say. Watching some grainy footage of prime Sabonis gave me an idea that the dude really was THAT good though, good enough that beyond the Iron Curtain, the NBA was already aware of him when he was young, and the Knicks GM said he literally would've drafted him over Ewing if he could've. I'd give it to Shaq, because he was just unfair, but Sabonis was unbelievably good, and would, at worst, be a top 10 all-time center if he spent his career in the NBA. At his best, he may have even been able to put his name up with the BIg 5.

[@princesnowblood6263]

@@localneo-graphic4647 Shaq averaged 27/12 against Sabonis in the regular season and 28/12 against him in the playoffs, who is this "Shaq Stopper" you're talking about????

[@nathanyouwanker]

One thing that should be mentioned is that in Wilt's era referees were MUCH stricter on offensive fouls; if Wilt had bullied guys in the post like Shaq did he would have fouled out in the first quarter

[@frank-xp6pj]

Now there’s a real comment , checkout my comment above, I basically said the same thing you said.👍

[@waynesulak1488]

Not only were the refs on the lookout for Wilt's offensive fouls, the league went so far as to change the rule book specifically to hamper Wilt. On the other hand they specifically helped Shaq by preventing his foul shooting problems at the end of games. Wilt was forced to play to his weaknesses and Shaq was pandered to by the NBA by not requiring him to shoot free throws and allowing him to elbow guys in the face with his off arm when shooting the hook. watch the finals against Mutombo on the sixers. it was sad that he had to resort to that when he outweighed Mutombo by 100 lbs.

[@reedsullivan8755]

Lol Shaq never offensive fouled anyone. Throwing your ass into a guy is legal. In fact, it’s fundamental rebounding. If you use an elbow when backing down a guy then it’s offensive. What Shaq was doing was 100% legal. Watch Zion-him and Shaq actually got/get fouled way more than officials call. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a massive Wilt fan-he’s number 2 behind MJ for me. But Shaqs peak was truly incredible and all legal

[@universalplayz7496]

@@reedsullivan8755 bro it's legal because of the Era he played in lol if wilt dared dip his shoulder into the oppisitions chest immediate offense foul and shaq did many little elbows when moving around and when the dude that 100lbs more then someone def hurts the things shaq does today would get him to foul out in 1 quarter in the 1960s

[@diogogarcez9519]

@@reedsullivan8755 How a guy that has inflated numbers due to the super high possessions he had on his time and the midgets - compared to him -, that he played against is number 2 in your all time list?

[@dash4800]

I grew up watching shaq get way deep in the post and always assumed that was the standard way to post up. Then as I got older I saw how rarely anyone else does it. Easily the most underrated part of his game.

[@cole9777]

Everyone accuses him of being too physical, but he was just bringing physicality back to the game.

[@manoukone8614]

@@cole9777 he was just talking advantage of his natural ability and he's right i'll do that too if i had a body like him

[@Peter-hx3im]

It takes a lot of work to establish & hold post position. Because of his physical gifts Shaq may be the best ever at it. Duncan was great at it too. I'm waiting for Giannis to learn how easy scoring can be when he learns to duck in for post position off ball.

[@josheloi9623]

I love how honest these assessments are, no narratives just facts

[@killiancarre6374]

And that's exactly how someone gets you thinking his way

[@Veggamattic]

Weeeell

[@c.seanholliday3153]

"Great range-not quite to the Foul Line, we'll get to that in a minute" I *died*

[@samuelyuan291]

The most physically gifted athlete in basketball. If he tried harder and kept conditioning, he rly could've been the 🐐.

[@carusohighlightreel4275]

Definitely a possibility!

[@ai_9959]

I approve this message

[@donovanm5128]

Nah that’s wilt

[@pesky19]

wilt is the most physically gifted

[@geckoguy7596]

This is absolutely factual, if he had Kobe’s mind then he’d be the goat, no contest

[@northerniggy8261]

I appreciate how you use video clips to support your vocal commentary... making it easy for us viewers to clearly comprehend the point you are making at that time. Those are hours of under-appreciated research and editing for our benefit. Highest value basketball commentary on KZbin.. hands down. As a coach.. I also found a lot of value in your book. I hope to see more of them in the future.

[@willhooke]

1:55 Offence without the ball Cuts across lane Team reverses ball, Shaq ducks closer to the ring, Shaw Shaq lob, Drop step Fade hook 11:02 Play making 15:35 Young Kobe 16:28 Defence 20:40 22:33 Metric scores & summary

[@KDRusha]

The amount of times I watched Shaq beat defenders with the spin move out of the post into catching a lob is too damn high!

[@Sephiroth32vergil]

His speed was always something that was often overlooked. He was just as fast as players 50lbs lighter than him and his could jump just as high as them. When Kobe said Shaq would be the GOAT if Shaq had his work ethic I don't think that is unrealistic at all.

[@st4r444]

Wonder how Shaq would fair up against 2016-2018 warrior's fast paste ball movement in the perimeter

[@prezian1312]

@@st4r444 I honestly think he would more unstoppable in this era.

[@dhanijoseph6849]

I know this is a Shaq video but I swear this is the most Wilt footage I’ve ever seen in my life😂

[@dhanijoseph6849]

@The Ultimate Your definitely right with that point, probably only true basketball historians actually have watched Wilt footage. The rest probably look at the stats and compare the eras they played in.

[@gabrielantunez7642]

@The Ultimate because it's a pain to watch wilt footage. If he was so good he could have at least win a couple more championships

[@themaninblack8271]

@The Ultimate its subjective ive watched almost every wilt footage i can and a fave channel of mine is the wilt chamberlain archive but I agree with Wilt himself talking about Shaqs rookie season that he was better than him if he wanted to be which imo he was in his best years and like Wilt said Shaq had an aggression and a will to dominate and attack the basket that he never had in him

[@guillermovazquez1084]

U need to watch the video where he compares him an Bill

[@jesuschrististhelord9937]

@@gabrielantunez7642 maybe because he played better teams than his, and played a super team every year of his career? What about not having the help to be able to dethrone the celtics until 67, not to mention losing game 7s where he couldn’t do anything about it because he was no where near the actions that caused him to lose.

[@OKCoolRancher]

The "in the year 2000" callback killed me....amazing reference.

[@Thragdain]

A Conan classic!

[@richardfarley]

Ben, this video is amazing. I feel like most people wouldn't overcome their biases to see the nuances of Shaq's footwork, the angles he creates, and see beyond his size. I certainly had never, before, thought about a lot of the technique he'd employed. You present this in a way that will make everybody think it's their own idea, but to the extent it was, that idea was never expressed as well as you do in this view.

[@eliasdejene2779]

Hey Ben, I cannot stress how much these videos mean to me. I anxiously await every video and have been waiting for this series since the trailer you put out. I use these to improve my own basketball game; I write down notes from every video and try to memorize them and then apply them within a game. Not only that, but these videos are fun to watch. Your witty humor combined with sharp analysis highlighting the players strengths and weaknesses allow me to enjoy myself while studying your study of these players. You probably won’t see this but if you do, keep up the great content. I love it.

[@dusk6159]

Indeed! And you're a proper basketball watcher 👍

[@mlkchannel5890]

Keep up the great work homie🤩

[@lyndy101]

Shaq unleashed violence from the floor with his trunk and massive lower body. Love it.

[@GeeksWeekly]

This is genuinely some of the best content on KZbin. So well done man

[@dusk6159]

Best basketball content on the platform forever and ever and it's not even close. 0 dawg and killah bs too.

[@hbmento8102]

4:14 I prefer the term "Shaq-Fu"

[@romad2908]

Just started reading your Thinking Basketball book and I'm hooked! Great content as always man

[@brandonalejandroblanco]

This video makes me appreciate what Shaq and Lebron are capable of doing at their sizes.

[@dusk6159]

Absolutely true, and I toss AI/Zeke with those two (or three with Wilt), for his own size. Or Stockton, in the other sense.

[@thefilipinoknight6617]

We all talk about Steph Curry's gravity, but we sometimes forget the supermassive black hole that was Shaq, drawing 5 defenders on him and overpowering them all. Some of the most freaking things I've seen.

[@dusk6159]

Shaq even gets underrated for the 2006 Finals and his impact and gravity.

[@Dr._is_sleepy]

Shaq and Steph are actually ridiculously similar players despite obviously different games. Incredible Gravity off of an unstoppable, efficient shot-making in their spots, 4 Rings, changed how teams were constructed, both having a nearly(or in Steph's case unanimous) perfect regular season MVP campaign, were the most dangerous offensive players in their primes and always were incredibly dangerous off the court.

[@rashb3994]

When you said Shaq thought the skyhook was uncool it just made me laugh really hard. It sounds ridiculous hearing it, but i do remember him saying that wasn't his thing. I had no idea he had a 7'7 wingspan. Given his other gifts it's almost not fair, but clearly from these clips he worked hard as hell for touches and rebounds during his peak.

[@samuelmorales2344]

No he did not have a 7'7" wingspan. Shaq has short arms. Francis Ngannou is 6'4" and a 6'11" wingspan. Francis has a arm length comparable to Shaq who is 6'11". If you look at the video of them two at the gym, you can see it. At best Shaq has a arm span of 7'1". I think it is 7 foot. Not particularly long for a guy his size.

[@aqgpandemic5406]

What I’ve learned from this video is basically Q: how to deal with Shaq? A: don’t... unless you’ve got Aryvdas Sabonis that helps a little, but only a little

[@noob.168]

You're not an opponent. Just another victim.

[@kvltizt]

Hakeem beat Shaq in a Finals series.

[@myasswithacherryontop1902]

@@kvltizt a lot of people beat Shaq in the playoffs. Malone and Stockton shut them down.

[@cole9777]

@@kvltizt Because Hakeem was in his prime and had better lost moves. Prime Laker Shaq vs 94' Hakeem would be a great matchup.

[@the757general2]

@@kvltizt Shaq was only i his 3rd season and a lot smaller. Prime Shaq on the Lakers would've roasted Hakeem.

[@johnrivera6244]

I was unaware of Shaq's passing ability! This series is great I always learn something new

[@back2back379]

One of the most underrated passing big men. He had to learn to be good at it, cause he was drawing more double and triple teams than anyone in the history of basketball.

[@jesuschrististhelord9937]

@@back2back379 ever heard of wilt chamberlain 😂 but that being shaq is underrated passer

[@back2back379]

@@jesuschrististhelord9937 Yes I've heard of Wilt, what about him? If anything, Wilt is rather overrated as a passer due to the seasons he got high assists, but the truth about those assists is that he was often hunting assists, getting "Rondo assists." I don't give as much credit when a player is playing for stats. Billy Cunningham: "Wilt is a very goal-oriented person, and and under Alex (Hannum) he wanted to win a title and become the first center to lead the league in assists. He liked to pass to Hal Greer or myself, because we just caught it and shot it. Chet Walker usually caught the ball, took a dribble or two and then shot it - no assist for Wilt (under the assist rules of that time). So Wilt preferred to give the ball to us." Matt Guokas: "He said in training camp that he wanted to lead the league in assists. He thought that would be cool. Of course, we all thought that would be cool too. But he didn't want us to run. He wouldn't throw outlet passes off rebounds. Only Billy or Chet were allowed to run out and score on the fastbreak if they got long rebounds. "Wilt wanted to be involved in every half-court play, so he stood there in the middle and all of us would run around him and he tried to pile up his assists. You've got to remember that assists were kept much more strictly back then. There was none of this stuff like today where you can take three dribbles and a head-fake and it counts. You got assists if you caught the pass and made the shot. So that meant Wilt would only pass it to guys who could catch and shoot -- Luke, Billy sometimes, Wali, Hal and me. In my case, he'd try to get me to just go backdoor for a layup, because he didn't trust me to do much else. And he'd never pass it to Chet Walker, because Chet always had to be pump-faking or use a dribble and take away the assist."

[@jesuschrististhelord9937]

@@back2back379 lol is that why. From 67 to 68 his assist only went up .8? And why did everyone shoot the same amount of FGA as the year before? A bunch of baloney

[@jesuschrististhelord9937]

@@back2back379 rondo assist😂 as a bigman in the post. You do realize wilts passes were most needle threaders.

[@VoltaDoMar]

Ben, these videos will immediately become the go-to link whenever someone new to basketball asks me how good someone like Shaq really was. Comprehensive!

[@TheBucksftw]

These are always the fastest twenty minute videos on KZbin. Thank you!

[@paksta]

Orlando Shaq is my favourite Shaq. Most of the power, but much higher agility.

[@willhooke]

I'm really hoping @ThinkingBasketball would do a comparison between the Orlando and LA versions 🔍

[@josephjohnroe3678]

@@willhooke there is no comparison. Shaq's 99/00 - 01/02 is as dominant of a stretch and player there has ever been. You simply could not stop him. The league should be grateful him and Kobe couldn't go exist any longer.

[@FuShengAlex]

@@josephjohnroe3678 lol the Spurs held Shaq to 21ppg & 44% . He got carried vs them by Kobe that series. He couldn't even make a basket in the 4th quarter. All these other teams he faced had soft over the hill big men

[@zoominnboomin]

2000 shaq is my favorite

[@myasswithacherryontop1902]

Shaq's best teammate is Charles Barkley.

[@joejesus9902]

Man..I remember Shaqs “black tornado” spin and dunk. Utterly unstoppable.

[@shivaneepatell]

Passing and re-posting helped him a lot!

[@user-ll2dr8lg7w]

His footwork and agility helped him a lot too very underrated part of his game

[@jingqi9106]

Shaq also moved defenders by pushing them back and even uprooting set defenders. In Wilt's day those were offensive fouls.

[@kingdingaling2469]

I just love that as all these analytics & all #’s , all new #’s all still just continue to prove more & more that Mike is Thee GOAT. The more analytics , the more special Mike proves to be He was.

[@anthonypacione1222]

4:33 has to be the best time stamp of this series

[@percival8193]

I said it once before and I’ll say it again. This is quite literally my favorite basketball analysis channel on KZbin. Very educational while also not dragging in the entertainment aspect. Great work man, keep it up

[@Ancient_Regime88]

I remember watching Shaq re-post and score in playoff game during his finals winning year with the Heat. Honestly, it felt like a privilege to see that old school center play before it pretty much went extinct.

[@gabrielantunez7642]

He was ass that series

[@NothingElseMattersJM]

@@gabrielantunez7642 They were double him off in the Finals so Wade got easy uncontested layups and dunks because of Shaq

[@dusk6159]

@@gabrielantunez7642 Ass? Casual, without Shaq attracting the double teams and still being Shaq in 2006 (and of course Mourning, clutch GP and coach Riley) Wade literally would have been quiet.

[@SquattingxBear]

Best sports content on KZbin? Cant believe how well produced these videos are!

[@dusk6159]

And It's not even close

[@NJ-sd9zb]

Would love to see one of these on a prime, 01-04 JKidd. People sleep on how brilliant he was.

[@ChiseledAdonis]

This is such a well-structured analysis of Shaquille O'Neal's peak... Such great content!

[@ryanshook5006]

Best basketball content on KZbin thank you for existing

[@driogojira]

this and clayton crowley’s making the case are the best basketball content i’ve been blessed to have at my disposal from youtube

[@JanRey526]

Shaq was also an underrated passer it's just unfair

[@carusohighlightreel4275]

Shaq. Dominate! Winner! Some of the best rim gravity ever! All time great!

[@benjaminan1183]

Dominant*

[@sarperkizilkaya4531]

I cant even imagine how painful it was for Ben to exclude Reggie Miller from the series

[@MauricioBarragan]

Probably easy as Fuck honestly. No pain at all.

[@oluwaseyijohnson3162]

He never was even top 8 in mvp voting probably an easy as fuck decision

[@RLSmith-jt8qj]

@@oluwaseyijohnson3162 ben made a video about reggie 's playoff scoring. I suggest you look it up.

[@blacknetsmed]

@@RLSmith-jt8qj The decision was actually pretty easy to exclude Reggie Miller. Ben Taylor on his podcast states that Miller did NOT have a Top 50 Peak in the Regular Season.

[@oluwaseyijohnson3162]

@@RLSmith-jt8qj this is a greatest peaks video. Reggie was good but he definitely aint got one of the greatest peaks lmao

[@adi3102]

I cannot express enough how much I love this channel. The video itself is amazing to begin with. Your delivery is amazing. You have highlights to show what you're talking about, the charts and visuals are aesthetically pleasing. The content itself is so well thought out, statistically analyzed and delivered it is a joy to watch. It isn't just abstract phrases thrown that you see on so many other KZbin videos related to basketball. Thank you, sir for creating such content.

[@sld1776]

Also, seeing old, broken down Sabonis in those highlights, what could have been.

[@RLSmith-jt8qj]

Old sabonis was still fun to watch

[@dusk6159]

@@RLSmith-jt8qj True, especially together with his Jail Blazers. With the passing especially, he was there with the CWebb and Jokic! Very enjoyable, even in a state worse than later part of his career Wilt and Bill Walton.

[@bwill325]

Shouldve had a Jackie Moon clip when you were talking about reposting.

[@Bonesmalone27]

Huge missed opportunity

[@ThinkingBasketball]

Now that you've mentioned this, I will never recover from this.

[@719603]

Excellent write up as always. About Wilt, a lot of the stuff Shaq was pulling would have been an offensive foul in Wilts era. I’m confident Wilt could have imposed his will on anyone from his era but the rules and his personality wouldn’t allow it.

[@slashbxe2832]

yeah wilt didnt play like shaq because he wanted to play with skill so no one would complain about his freak athleticism and size

[@dusk6159]

All correct. Would be insane to have an adjusted Wilt AND with still the finesse, shooting and skills. Especially paired against Shaq.

[@allanhouston6759]

*1962/63 season: Prime Wilt Chamberlain missed the Playoffs ( Record: 31-49 ) despite having 3 players from the Hall of Fame.* Wilt Chamberlain is one of the most overrated players of all-time.

[@PsychoWarper]

Iirc Wilt admitted he didnt play with as much power as he could have since he didnt want to be seen as just a brute. Public perception messed with Wilt alot and hes admitted it iirc.

[@universalplayz7496]

@@allanhouston6759 yeah les jus ignore how no one else on his team even scored 20+ or even shoot 50% fg and les also ignore how wilt was doing everything he can shooting 50+% fg and dropping 44 points a night and grabbing 25 boards also a slight 4 assists a per game could be more as assist were tracked differently but ig wilts just overrated yall

[@yusefrodgers5828]

Brilliant breakdown.. Shaq carried so much of the offensive load and was so dominant especially deep in their playoff runs... I'd argue more so than the other centers of the 90's. Given that, plus the punishment he took, a don't knock him for not being as locked in on defense.. For me, he's the one big man I'd want to have on my squad out of all of them.

[@shivaneepatell]

That Blazer team was underrated!

[@martinmackye9865]

That room temperature b ball IQ tho ....

[@coreygolphenee9633]

@@martinmackye9865 what he meant to say is Sabonis is underrated. That broken old man made Shaq work

[@ponypower8]

AWESOME DETAILED ANALYSIS. The most underrated parts of Shaq's game were his court vision and good passing skills.

[@likemikegenerationx2]

Ngl, didn’t expect to see Kobe this early Thought Duncan or KG would be next lol

[@papa_maku]

I guess its to honor him for that day 1 year ago.

[@yd856]

KG is next probably.

[@Spikezx7]

Hopefully, he's doing this in the order that players were drafted. Kobe was drafted in '96, Duncan was in '97.

[@andisar98]

@@papa_maku Holy shit, 1 year already? It still feels like it happened only a few months ago.

[@gwapodoes]

Didn't they get drafted and retire after kobe?

[@DavidJimenez-he1tv]

This series is incredible. I would’ve never thought to have called Shaq a great off-ball player until this video. I can’t wait to see the rest!

[@Whois2th]

thanks for these videos. makes me appreciate the greats before i watched basketball. you always here storys but putting the stats into perspective is very helpful to understand the impact they had.

[@princesnowblood6263]

Shaq is one hundred times better than any big man you've ever seen

[@danielshaltes911]

I'm really enjoying this series. And to prove it, I'm just going to politely ignore every time you talked about "3-peats" and "drawing fouls" despite the fact that I'm a Kings fan.

[@ryandick9649]

Actually, that series would be an outstanding idea for Ben and this channel. Statistically, what are the chances that the disparity between Sacramento and LA would be that large across a series?

[@dusk6159]

@@ryandick9649 Indeed!

[@enochlevi5504]

Amazing video, one of my favorites so far. Super exited for Kobe and also KG!

[@BlueHundred1]

He was insane. So strong and powerful but he was quick and his footwork was great too. That drop step was devastating... so wide yet his explosion and balance from the drop step was nuts. His right jump hook was unstoppable. Fantastic touch too. Not quite Jokic level but he was a very good playmaker. Advanced passes and reads imo. It's crazy how he could have been better too. Undoubtedly a top 10 all time player but I really think he could have been the GOAT. His defense was good but should have been better as well

[@david.tousignant20]

Incredible video. But, one thing... People in the NBA before the NBA-ABA merger weren't allow by officials to play like Shaquille O'Neal. O'Neal would had been called for an offensive foul 4/5 times if he played under older rules. Roy Firestone explained the rules differences years ago.

[@dusk6159]

Correct

[@TTFMjock]

I could never watch him for precisely that reason. He probably committed 3 uncalled offensive fouls per game. And I'm only counting obvious WTF-level offensive fouls.

[@ziginaigra]

@@TTFMjock but that was not fouls with this rules so ....

[@johnrivera6244]

Best basketball series on KZbin.

[@doktarr]

It's hard for me to watch Shaq highlights on multiple levels. First there's the "He could have been even better if he had added some more moves/learned to shoot free throws/gotten in better shape" angle. Then there's the "his back-down was an offensive foul" angle. I mean really, look at him directly initiate contact with the defender's chest to push him back at 5:03. There are many many examples like this. Sure, other players have done the same thing to some extent, but it's only Shaq who made "knock the other guy off balance then pivot" his standard move.

[@themaninblack8271]

It worked both ways though as groups of the other team would routinely wrestling and slap and whack him non stop at the same time

[@Thanosdidtherighthing]

They need to get in the weight room then if they want to stop the Big Diesel!

[@noiryork]

This is the Shaq I want to remember. Not 'NBA on TNT Shaq'. Great video!

[@knep24]

This series is so good, great job Ben!

[@Bshue123]

One of my favorite players of all time. Thanks for this series Ben!

[@JasonWindsor88]

I loved that “in the year 2000” bit from Conan 👍🏼

[@TC24Legacy]

Superb analysis, one of the few channels that I will watch the videos all the way through.

[@bigdunks4eva]

This is one of the best basketball breakdowns that I've ever seen

[@MIMadDogsHC]

Man I would love to see more videos in this series. Pippen, Thomas, Reggie Miller, so many classic guys that would be awesome to see

[@pedromdcc13]

God he was HUGE! How can he move like that? Imagine if he played defense, Jesus

[@TheGoodShepard31]

He did. For the 3 peat he won with the Lakers lmao really he did for 3 X all defense

[@allanhouston6759]

The greatest Center of all-time.

[@themaninblack8271]

Tbf he might have coasted at times in the regular season but from 93-03 he was arguably the best 1v1 post defender every great center shot a low percentage against him and he was a great shot blocker. Unsurprisingly Shaq has the most rebounds and blocks etc of the modern era in the play offs and finals only Wilt and Russel from the by gone age have more.

[@VictorFPoB]

@@TheGoodShepard31 Saying he played defense just because he got an all defensive selection is a very casual thing to do. He may have been playing great defense before that and voters just don't notice. It's just the opinion of others. Shaq was always a better defender during his Orlando days.

[@Peter-hx3im]

@@allanhouston6759 I have Abdul-Jabbar over him (both offensively and defensively), but with the great centers, there are legitimate arguments for Russell, Wilt, Abdul-Jabbar, Olajuwon, and Shaq.

[@kevinhkp]

I started watching basketball since mid 90s and I have never seen a player as dominant as Shaq in the field. Once he got close to the rim. Its game over.

[@exiledknight3961]

Kobe actually stated Shaq weighed 380 lbs with the lakers.

[@blacknetsmed]

That was during the '02-'03 and '03-'04 Seasons where he was weighed that much. Dr. Jerry Buss would always get on Shaq about that too.

[@geordiejones5618]

Shaq himself said he stopped trying as much in terms of training after that 2nd ring lol. 02-05 he just got bigger and slower. In 06 he finally accepted that a young player like Wade should be the primary option.

[@exiledknight3961]

@@blacknetsmed actually kobe said this was during their second ring of the 3 peat. which was 01.

[@ThinkingBasketball]

Yup -- I first saw this reported in the '02 season.

[@Alberto-xz7th]

That's insane. Imagine that mass jumping on your back.

[@messiahx904]

These videos you do better than main stream media’s

[@kumayasei]

I need to ask you if, once you finish this fantastic series, you could do us an enormous favour and make another serie of not so great peaks with the second tier of great players that are just below this monsters, like Moses Malone, Isiah Thomas/Joe Dumars and so on

[@Btn1136]

I think once his channel/podcasts get the following they deserve he will be able to do those deeper cuts. Can’t blame him, but I think his channel is just getting started.

[@kumayasei]

@@Btn1136 oh, yes, I don't mean he has to dedicate an enormous ammount of resources to it. But instead of releasing only content about contemporary players like he did before the start of this series, would be nice if he mixed with some historical videos

[@bryanryder7196]

Isiah Thomas would be a great player to look at for this series he most likely wont crack this series but man you just look at the box score numbers and dude could put up 22 and 12 in his sleep. Ben would probably argue his true peak and positive impact was during the bad boy days. Thats a great ides maybe we will see an honorable mentions video potentially.

[@kumayasei]

@@bryanryder7196 he is not cracking in this series cause they are chronologically and we are in early 2000's now. But yea, although i think that his value comes mainly from his versatility. Hes a positive defender, and hes good setting his teammates in defense. In offense, he is a good shooter and ok rim finisher on good efficiency, and that keeps defense honest and also his vision and passing capabilities help him set his teammates very good

[@dusk6159]

@@bryanryder7196 A Zeke-Stockton comparison would be insanity. Especially a CP3-Nash/Kidd one.

[@dddiop]

Love the Spurs D of Duncan on Shaq and them having to be like "no... double him with Robinson as well."

[@staticbb]

every time i see him jump into the crowd i get a massive anxiety attack.

[@0ptimal]

I watched Shaq come to the NBA and yep it was quite the show. He was just overwhelming, like he was playing high school kids, couldn't be stopped. Till they saw his free throws lol

[@justaloe]

Wilt couldn't do what Shaq did as far as bully ball because the rules for offensive fouls were a lot more strict. Player weren't allow to just back the opposing defender down.

[@thatguywesmaranan]

excellent analysis and such an understandable explanation... great job, good sir!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@musix3197]

Bruh I teared up when I saw Kobe was next he's my idol RIP Mamba. Shaq's physique and athleticism made him the most dominant center of all time imagine if he had better post game like Olawjuwon did.

[@natrix3759]

I was thinking about how you could keep this series going into the future for players like Jokic, Giannis, and Luka after their careers are over. This series is a treasure. Keep up the great content👍😃

[@nabisco0523]

10:00 “Because of this, he put entire front lines into foul trouble” lmaoooo

[@atlien1988]

Shaq and Barkley been saying this years about bigs moving the ball to get to a spot and demanding the ball. Shaq created his own opportunities by being aggressive even without the ball. People don’t realize how skilled and smart Shaq was because they don’t understand the game of basketball. Basketball is also a game of chess.

[@DrewNusser]

K, loved this, except you were way too harsh on Wilt in the beginning. The reason he didn't have the same moves is that they actually called offensive fouls and over-called travels. If Wilt's defender was set and he bumped into him, it was going the other way almost every time. Same with the wide, elongated drop step that Shaq always used. If that 2nd step wasn't down immediately, it was a travel 100% of the time. In my opinion these things make it even more impressive that Wilt did the things he did.

[@chopchop4487]

I don't watch first take or undisputed anymore because I know youtubers and people with blogs who have better analysis then them and this video proves it.

[@bigred4655]

It's not that Shaq was stronger or more athletic than Wilt(He wasn't), it's that the rules of Wilt's era prevented him from playing like Shaq. Offensive charging is a thing and was called liberally in Wilt's playing days any time the offensive player with the ball tried to push into his defender in the post. Which is why Wilt developed a lethal fadeaway jumper to compensate. Whereas once you get Shaq outside his fairly short range, his effectiveness drops greatly.

[@Xenon-h9z]

Exactly. Wilt was stronger and more athletic... and that was in the 60s. If he'd benefitted from 90s/00s technology/knowledge he would have been even stronger/faster.

[@giom3248]

Man in one of the latest The Ringer's youtube video, Kevin O'Connor made references to the Greatest peaks series! Greatness recognises greatness!

[@mateusrolim8306]

Kareem and Olajuwon were better players in general, but Shaq's dominance was just marvellous to see.

[@alesele20]

I’m 33 and have been a diehard basketball my entire life. I had the pleasure of watching the entirety of Shaq’s career and I feel he he had the greatest offensive peak of any player ever. There was just no stopping him. He was truly a generational talent. Underrated by most imo.

[@mr.krinkle1177]

8:00 everybody gangsta till derek fisher starts flying.

[@willhooke]

Flying Fish! Heeyaaa!

[@sanhou8401]

Love your content man. Been watching you since the very first Video you posted.

[@CKELECHITV]

This was such a great watch! can't wait for lebron's and kobe's

[@Pedro-ql4pq]

Man, youve grown so much since you first started releasing videos on this channel, love the edits and the timely/subtle jokes and references. Keep it up Ben, best bball content on YT for real. Cant wait for Kobe's video, ima cry like a bitch i can feel it lol

[@mussman717word]

"He would drive through his victims from the hips to overpower them with angles." "Shaq unleashed violence from the floor with his trunk and massive lower-body." Hey, now. Keep it PG here, guy.

[@ebrown112]

thank you, benny boy. major appreciation for every single vid, especially this one. who knew shaq was more than a big fat bully? oh right, everyone who watched him in his prime. what a phenomenal player. in the pantheon of great centers, i put him 2a/2b with yao ming.

[@aryanmondkar286]

Weren’t there a lot of offensive fouls that prevented bully ball in the Wilt era?

[@dusk6159]

Yes, this and rules aren't ever brought up despite being the keys.

[@coreygolphenee9633]

The low post position battles of this era is something I miss about basketball it turned good big men matchups into like title fights

[@macabree5856]

yeah I miss the low post position battles of this era. Turn on NBA now and that doesn't exist at all. Last big men is probably Dwight Howard and "maybe" Joel

[@amarevanhook7453]

@@macabree5856 Jokic??

[@macabree5856]

@@amarevanhook7453 Not the same as this era of big men and im a long time Denver fan. Low post position battles was somthing else conpare to what it is now

[@lucasamoriim5126]

5:24 Tim Duncan is 6'11, 250 pounds, and just look how much bigger Shaq looks 💀💀

[@ImBarryScottCSS]

Bean next man up :) Good to see some Shaq highlights again, how quickly you forget just how dominant he was. Particularly younger Shaq to throw that much weight around with that athleticism, man it makes you wonder just how great he could have been if he got on top of his body.

[@thesavageking6333]

I don't think people realize Orlando Shaq was like a 50 pounds more mass and 2 inches taller Giannis.

[@Job.Well.Done_01]

Giannis is MJ mixed with Shaq. Tell me I’m wrong

[@derekstein1444]

Excellent basketball content to get my day really rolling, I love it