re: It's time for another NBA All-Time Team thread (sort of)

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Although it bucks conventional wisdom a 23 year old Shaq probably outplayed Hakeem at his peak


No he didn't. I don't know how old some of you are, but after that quick 4 game sweep of a Finals, there was really no doubt who was the best center in the league. You are trying to use fg% to revise history.

And Shaq was a 23 yr old and a physical specimen. Hakeem was 32/33 and in his 11th year in the league. He obviously wasn't the athlete he was a few years prior

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I'm old enough. Watched those finals live when I was in college. I watched Nick Andersen miss key free throws in game one and then absolutely disappear for the rest of the series. I watched Cassell, Drexler, and Horry step up and support Hakeem.

And I listened to the commentators with some disbelief... the idea that the difference between the two teams was anything to do with the Shaq/Hakeem matchup was always near-sighted Skip Bayless level stupidity. Unfortunately that quickly catapulted into conventional wisdom because the NBA was already more about marketing stars than teams or more complicated explanations.

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here was really no doubt who was the best center in the league. You are trying to use fg% to revise history.

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The best center in the middle to late 90's was Shaq. Hakeem, Robinson, and Ewing had their days in the late 80's early 90's. From like 94 until 2006, Shaq was easily the best center in the NBA.