Shaquille O'Neal

Shaq is going to Cleveland. This is an intriguing deal. . .

An aging past-his-prime Shaq scored 17+ points a game last year. Big men in the NBA (like porn stars) age rather quickly and I wonder if Shaq's production will decline noticeably. . .But even 13-15 points a game and 8+ rebounds a game will give the Cavs a physical presence in the middle. It also moves Ilgauskas to backup center (where he belongs).

Lebron and Shaq. . .Cleveland just became more interesting overnight.

I think he will definitely go down as one of the most dominant players in NBA history.

It's shaq

It doesn't matter what Shaq does from here on out. Shaq, in his prime was one of the most dominating players the NBA has ever seen. Every team he plays has to develop a scheme to foul him before he dunks on his inferior denfenders. Shaq has the 2nd highest Career FG % of all time in the modern era, (best FG % for anyone with 10,000 + FG attempts)

Love him or hate him, he's left a lasting mark and got four rings out of it. If pushing weight around helps in the NBA (and it did Shaq) then use it to your advantage (as Shaq did).

Possibly the best center of all time although with centers like Wilt, Russell, Kareem, and Olajuwon this is debatable. Of course he's getting old now, but he can still be pretty dominant, only now its more in spurts instead of whole games. 

UPDATE: Let's wait and see what a summer off  and that almost magical Phoenix medical staff (look what they've done for Nash's chronically bad back and Hill's fragile ankles) can do for him. Maybe "The Big Cactus" has something left, but I get the feeling that after next season starts that I'll be dropping one of the top big men of all time to  a 3 star rating. Remember everyone, this isn't a list of the greatest of all time, it's about current players. And as a current player, Shaq is sliding, and sliding fast.

This is common sense. How could you vote him less than a 5. You should all be ashamed of yourselves if you didn't vote him a five. There aren't five other players in the league that changes a game more than Shaq. I can't wait to see what he does in Pheonix.

He's gettin' old...

He BIG

I don't like the man, but he's stepped it up once again. He earned himself another ring, proving he's still the most dominant player in basketball. He's getting older and he's not the player he used to be, but he's still got a lot of fuel left in him to terrorize opposing teams.

Ithink Shaq used to be one of the best but now Ithink he isn't as good because he is getting older. I stillthink Miami needs him on thier team

Far be it from me to say he isn't a great player: he is, aside from his troubles with free throws. He has great presence inside, and all that. However from another viewpoint, he,like most big stars, gets away with murder from the refs, and he has a rather unlikeable personality, and strikes me as a self- aggrandizing, coarse, crude, dumbass. Looks like an ogre or giant who's threatening a village, should play armed with a spiked club and wear filthy, worn, animal skins so ratty you can't even tell what animal he 's wearing, kinda reminds me of the dummy giant Bigmouth from The Smurfs. Anyone remember the time he played a genie in a boombox or his hideous rap songs? (Shiver) And I think from an aesthetic viewpoint, he's like a rampaging elephant, who, more than any other player, has helped to ruin the artistry and intricacy of the game with his water buffalo tactics.

Fat, slow, lazy, and he can't make a free throw to save his own life. Always states that he makes them when it "counts." He Shaq, they all count! This guy has a shooting range of about two feet, and that's only when the two feet are directly above the rim and all he has to do is bring the ball straight down. Quoting the great John Wodden, "He's a dunker."

5 star talent, but a 3 star for the bull crap he still carries. All of this " I don't know no one by that name ( referring to Kobe Bryant)", " Who you talkin' about", and the little hissy fit handshakes to Bryant should stop right now. Shaq got what he wanted; out of L.A. Come on Shaq. Have some respect and cut out all of this not-saying Kobe name. I don't Kobe was innocent in the lawsuit he was involved in, but I still believe NBA players can show respect for one another. At least to the public Kobe has shown Shaq respect. Shaq can do the same.

OVERRATED. If I was 360 pounds and 7'1 I'd dominate the NBA too. Shaq doesn't actually have basketball talent he's just huge.

MDE.I have a newspaper clipping at home that shows shaq dunking on five New Jersey Nets.He gets swarmed every time he touches the ball.I dont remember a center that has commanded as much attention from opposing defenders as he.It doesnt matter to me whether he can hit a jump shot or not.Can u score?Can u intimidate?Can u make the other team adjust their entire defensive plan because of one person?Can you make those guards and fowards scared to visit you in the paint?To me thats more important than if he can hit a 15ft jumper.He's not supposed to be out that far anyway.Ive also never seen one person change the balance of power everytime he arrives at a new team.Some people who never played at that level (including myself)are critical of his play but you really gotta ask yourself why does everyone else who does play on his level want to play with him?

A great player and a weird [email protected]!... Still the most dominate force on the inside, though his impact in important games seems to have diminished....Those important games that involve the Pistons, that is.

the most dominant player

he's got the size and there's nothing wrong with using it. You need to work with what you have. But because i think his physical stature not skill is such a big part of his sucess I can't call him an amazing player.

Great basketball player. Size is an advantage, skill is helpful, and desire got him where he is now. His is in a league of his own. He can rock a court!!!

Best player of his generation (post Jordan) Maligned because of size and the fact he uses it. Would you rather have him shoot fall away jumpers like Ewing?

A man among boys.

Of course the most physicaly dominate player ever since Wilt Chamberlain

Probably the best in the game today. He can do it all except hit a freebie or a three-pointer. When he's on, he's on. He's got a nice spin move and a sweet stroke, so he's not all dunk, dunk, dunk!

The greatest, most dominant player of all time. He can make any average player into a all star or supersar as seen in Kobe Bryant and Dwane Wade.

No argument that he's one of the best players of all-time. I don't care about lack of skills or free throws, just look at his stats and 3 championships and how much and how quickly he improved every team he's been on, Magic, Lakers, and Heat.

Before he can figure out if whether its caramel or carmel....he should fix his eyes and his voice that sounds like cher...

One of the best players I've ever seen in the NBA. He's always a guy on the team to count on. He's scored in the 40's about 50 times in his career. He makes amazing slam dunks, has made over like a thousand in his career. The only thing that would make him the best player of all time would be if he worked on his free throws and 3 pointers.

Shaq is a good player but...free throws are key...sometimes even decide the game...if he works on those hes got a good chance to be around longer. still one of the greats

i have to give shaq a 5. he likes malone and i do to. most everyone that knows anything about basketball or even catches a minutes here and there, talks smack about #32. i mean both of them. give these guys there do credit and move on.

i have to give him his due though he is not my type of guy.

shaq has no skill at all. he cant even shoot 5 feet away from the hoop. the only reason he is any good because he is so fat. he is allways in the key for more than 3 sconds.he fouls all the time and never gets called for it...people give hime to much credit.

Excellent in the post but man work on your free throws

Shaq is a an excellent player. he doesn't miss layups most of the time and he can dunk on an asleep defender easily.

Give Shaq the damn ball!! Not just some of the time, not just most of the time - give him the damn ball EVERY SINGLE POSSESSION. I'm talking to you Gary, and you Devean, and yes you too Kobe... and especially you Phil Jackson. Any possession in which this man does not touch the ball is a flat out failure. He is the ONLY one with a match-up advantage against the Pistons, and he is the only way this series will go back to LA. If they single cover him, he will most likely score, and probably get fouled. If they double, Shaq will most likely score anyway, and if not, will make the right decision. Give this man the freaking ball. It's not complicated.

I was too young to see Wilt Chamberlain as a 40 PPG scorer (I saw him in his role as a Laker where he was more of a playmaker). But I can imagine his game must have been something like Shaq Diesel when he is on. He is just too big and strong for anyone to contain. Three rings for the Lakers; also got the woebegone Magic to the NBA Finals when he was a little Diesel. Shaq is a true mason (bricklayer) at the charity stribe; but so was Chamberlain (who barely shot over 50%).

Shaq's been named one of the best players in the history of the game by many, many basketball critics in many magazines. That should say enough. 3 rings in a row should speak for itself also. He's the most dominant player ever. No one can single handly gaurd him. The best post player in the game right now and has great ball handling skills. His free throw shooting is pretty bad, but every player has a weakness, so oh well. But he's about to get his 4th ring in about a month, so, there ya go.

No shooting touch. Just a brute.

He has unbelievable power. The only thing that is keeping him from being a record book center is his free throw shooting. He didn't used to shoot that bad but this season has been horrible for him. He kind of a jerk to. If he doesn't get what he wants then he uses his power to persuade people. That's just wrong.

Louisiana has bred another beast. I would agree with others that if I was 7'1'' 340 I would be in his shoes but I am not. Give him his props he is the Lakers and he is ugly not too smart

He's BIG...but NOT a team player and whines too much about calls. He gets away with more offensive fouls than ANYONE else in the NBA. I'm tired of hearing about how difficult he is to officiate...he doesn't get different rules because he's huge - BLOW the whistle...if he shoves someone out of his way on his way to the hoop ... that's a foul - CALL IT! I LOVE to watch Yao take him to school!!!

he sucks

The best player of our generation.

Shaq no doubt has alot of little men helping his 340 pound ego out. LOL. you think the all time dual was John Stockton giving a good entry pass into Karl Malone. How about the way Dick Bavetta assists the 340 pound big assed ball hogging homo. The Kings could probly beat Shaq and the Lakers if the NBA was still ran by honest commisionars like the NFL, and MLB. But we all no the truth, David Stern has a script already written out every year to help the L.A. Ladies get on top.LOL, atleast other all time dominating teams like the G.B. Packers, N.Y. Yankees, and Boston Celtics really win their Tittles. Ha! The L.A. Ladies, their all a bunch of little sacks of, well, hum, I can't even think of a hateful enough name to put on them, because I wouldn't want to insult any dirty name by using it in place and referance, of the little HIV infested L.A. Ladies.

Dare I say, the most dominating player in the the game? You bet he is.

Shaq is dangerous folks. He's the biggest guy in the NBA, strength wise. And he behaves off the court, unlike Kobe. The free throw shooting used to be really bad, but now it's not too bad.

THE BEST PLAYER IN BASKETBALL. USES HIS SIZE RIGHT. BEST CENTER FOR GETTING UP AND DOWN THE COURT

Simply the best center of the last 30 years !! I think even his haters wouldn't refuse him in their teams... Come on !

I don't like NBA basketball, but I love Shaq. He seems like a very genuine guy and I think he'd be great to hang around with. He seems like the sort that you could sit around having a few beers with watching the game, and have a fun conversation with.

I can't believe where Shaq is on this list! His rating shows how little credibility this list has! I am not a Laker fan by far. Neither am I a big fan of Shaq, but my opinions are honest. Bottom line: SHAQ IS THE MOST DOMINANT PLAYER IN THE NBA! PERIOD! There is no bigger threat in the low-post from five feet in than Shaq. Whether you like him or not, he is the horse that the Lakers have ridden to three championships. Sure, Kobe is more than nice to have around, but the NBA is still a leage dominated by low-post play, and Shaq is the man. Without a doubt, he is currently the 2nd best player in the league.