I think the answer is no, because Shaquille O 'Neal's dominance is so strong that the alliance has to modify the rules three times, so strong that it can create a dynasty. No matter what era such players are thrown into, they will lead the wind.
1992, on the eve of the NBA lottery, 1 1 teams selected by lottery each printed their names on their special jerseys.
This man is the dream player of all NBA teams. His name is shaquille o'neal, the chosen son of that time league, and the most dominant center in NBA history.
At that time, O 'Neill was only 20 years old, but he was invincible in the NCAA-O 'Neill was 18 years old, and in his first year of joining the Louisiana State University team, O 'Neill shot a record 17 blocked shots against Mississippi State University, breaking the NCAA single-game blocked shot record in one fell swoop.
At Louisiana State University, O 'Neill played for three seasons, averaging 2 1.6 points 13.5 rebounds, and was named the best player in the United States twice. With the name of genius, O 'Neill chose to participate in the NBA draft.
Scouts speak highly of O 'Neill. In O 'Neill's draft report, there are countless praises: "His excellent athletic ability and terrible talent enable him to score easily inside;" His strength allows him to dominate the restricted area at both ends of the attack and defense. At the same time, he has flexibility that doesn't match his figure. He is fast and can pass the ball when facing a double team. In front of opponents, he is strong enough to destroy everything. He will be a great shot blocker. "
Of course, O 'Neill also has shortcomings, that is, shooting and free throws are not very accurate, but at that time, the NBA was an insider era, and O 'Neill, who had great potential under the basket, instantly attracted the attention of countless teams, and no team did not crave O 'Neill.
In the end, the lucky Magic won the first prize with a probability of 9%, but O 'Neill didn't really want to go to Orlando, which also laid the groundwork for his future departure. After being selected by Magic, he went to Los Angeles to improve his basketball skills under the guidance of Magic Johnson, a member of NBA Hall of Fame, which also indicates that he will come to city of angels in the future.
1992-93 season, O 'Neill's rookie season, he quickly showed his invincible dominance in the game. He dunked the backboard and the basket three times in the game, and finally pulled down the basketball stand directly. At the same time, O 'Neill was also selected as the All-Star starter this season. He is the first player to start as a newcomer in the NBA All-Star Game after Jordan, the god of basketball in 1984-85 season.
There is no doubt that O 'Neill was elected the best rookie of the season. He not only averaged 23.4 points+13.9 rebounds, but also helped Magic win 20 more games than last season.
After a sweet first season, O 'Neill continued to evolve in the second season, averaging 29.3 points and shooting 60% from inside. In a game against the New Jersey Nets, he shot 19 in 36 minutes 12, scored 24 points and 28 rebounds, and sent out 65,438+"terror".
Not only is the personal data excellent, but O 'Neill's leadership performance is also excellent. He led the Orlando Magic into the playoffs for the first time in history.
1994-95 season, O 'Neill averaged 29.3 points and won his first scoring title. Moreover, O 'Neill led the Magic to win 57 games this season, once again entered the NBA playoffs and won the championship all the way. In the Eastern Conference finals, he eliminated Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in the last 17 games of the regular season and entered the NBA finals for the first time. Although the Magic was swept out by the Houston Rockets in the finals, the young O 'Neill crushed Olajuwon, the first NBA center at that time, averaging 28 points+13 rebounds +6 assists per game and shooting 59%.
1995-96 season, O 'Neal was injured and missed 28 games, but this season Magic still entered the playoffs. This is the last year of his rookie contract and his last year in Magic.
1996 In the summer, O 'Neill became a free agent. Instead of renewing his contract with Magic, he signed a seven-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, worth $65,438+200 million, and officially joined the Los Angeles Lakers.
The arrival of O 'Neal made the Lakers warm up quickly. 1997-98 season, the Lakers won 6 1 led by O 'Neal, but were defeated by Utah Jazz 0-4 in the Western Conference finals. 1998-99 season, the Lakers got Rodman, further strengthening their inside power, but were defeated by San Antonio Spurs 4 in the second round of the playoffs.
Lakers management is fed up with O 'Neal not winning the championship. 1999-00 season, former Bulls coach Phil Jackson joined the Lakers, and O 'Neill was instructed by Jackson, and his strength advanced by leaps and bounds. At this time, he perfectly combined height, strength and flexibility, and further upgraded his dominance in the arena, becoming a "big shark" that frightened the whole league.
The iconic game that best embodies O 'Neill's dominance is the Lakers' away game against the Clippers on O 'Neill's 28th birthday.
On the eve of this birthday game, O 'Neill asked the Clippers owner for tickets to watch his game, but the Clippers owner refused. O 'Neill was very angry and decided to spend all his money on the court. He also got Jackson's decentralization and the support of his teammates.
So, on this night, O 'Neill gave full play to his firepower and contributed to the most cruel game of his career. At the beginning of the game, he quickly entered the attack mode, strived for every goal and made full use of his firepower. He played for 45 minutes, made 24 of 35 shots and made 22 free throws 13, and finally got 6 1 minute and 23 rebounds.
The Clippers' two centers, Peter Chilkat and Michael olowokandi, were bombed by O 'Neal, and they only added up to 15 points and 8 rebounds. Peter Chilcat was dismissed after committing six crimes, and Michael olowokandi took his place and was ravaged. The last five criminals almost left the game.
This game is a microcosm of O 'Neill's dominance after Jackson's arrival. 1999-00 season, O 'Neill played 79 games, averaging 29.7 points, 13.5 rebounds and blocked three times, and won the honor of all-star FMVP and MVP in the regular season. The Lakers are also 67 wins 15 losses, and the first place in the West entered the playoffs. In the playoffs, O 'Neill still maintained a strong "appetite", crushing Divac (2m 18), Weber (peak period), Luc Longley (2m 18), Sabonis (2m 23) and Rasheed Wallace (2m 1 1) in succession. O 'Neill averaged 38 points+16.7 rebounds per game, and even scored 40 points and 24 rebounds in a single game, which successfully helped the Lakers win the championship and won FMVP himself.
All opponents can't do anything about this big shark under the basket. Imagine that a huge fat man with a height of 2. 16 meters and a weight of 150 kg can almost fill the three-second zone, but he has lightning-fast turning speed and incredible ability to change direction, and his strength is amazing. He can dunk easily for every n people, and the small hook is also good.
Many teams choose to double-team, or even triple-team, and fans also acquiesce that this situation is reasonable-just like in "Eternal Dragon Slayer", Zhang Wuji was besieged every time he made a move, but no one shouted unfairness. Of course, O 'Neill is like Zhang Wuji. No matter how many people come, it is in vain.
In order to restrain O 'Neill, NBA officials had no choice but to modify the defense rules and set up a 3-second defense. It is these rules that force O 'Neill to stay away from the restricted area, which greatly facilitates the breakthrough and empty cutting of outside players.
In addition to the league's suppression of O 'Neal, other coaches besides the Lakers began to think of various ways to suppress O 'Neal, such as the notorious "shark-cutting tactics". Because O 'Neill's free throws were not very effective, Nelson Sr invented "Shark Cutting Tactics", which sent O 'Neill to the free throw line during the attack, reducing O 'Neill's scoring efficiency, and was later learned by other coaches and used against the Lakers.
"Shark-cutting Tactics" was O 'Neill's most incisive game against Pacers G2 in the Lakers' first championship this season. In this game, the Pacers slashed sharks, O 'Neill made 39 free throws, only hit 18 ball, and two Pacers fouled six times. There were six fouls by blue-collar players and 38 fouls by the team in three minutes, but even so, they failed to win the Lakers.
After winning the first championship in the Lakers jersey, O 'Neill was full of confidence, and with the growing leadership of Kobe Bryant and Jackson, the Lakers opened the road to consecutive championships.
In 2000-0 1 season, O 'Neill led the Lakers to the finals again, beating Kings, Trailblazers and Spurs in the playoffs and advancing to the finals. The opponent in the finals is 76 ers. O 'Neill bombarded Mutombo, the defensive player of the season and the rebounding king, averaging 33 points+15.6 rebounds in five games. Moreover, there are quasi-"four doubles" data of 19 shots per game, with 28 points +20 rebounds +9 assists +8 blocks. The Lakers' playoff record of 15 win 1 loss also created the best record in playoff history.
The Lakers who have won two consecutive championships are not tired. In the 200 1-02 season, O 'Neill led the Lakers to the championship. In the finals, he averaged 36.3 points+12.3 rebounds against the Nets, and won his third consecutive championship FMVP.
Three consecutive championships with the Lakers were the pinnacle of O 'Neill's career. In the 2002-03 season, O 'Neill suffered injuries and only played 67 games. The Lakers were also defeated by the Spurs in the second round of the Western Conference.
In the 2003-04 season, the Lakers got Carl Malone and gary payton to form a fantastic F4 team and reached the finals again. The 32-year-old O 'Neill suffered a leg injury and faced the double Wallace of the Pistons. He averaged 26.6 points+10.8 rebounds+1.6 assists per game with 63% shooting percentage, but the Lakers still scored 1.6 assists in the finals.
After the failure of the finals, the contradiction between O 'Neill and Kobe Bryant broke out. O 'Neill left the Lakers and went to Miami Heat to partner young Wade.
In the Heat, O 'Neill turned to assist Wade to help him grow up quickly. In the 2005-06 season, led by Wade and O 'Neill, the Heat flourished in the East. After losing two games in a row in the finals, they won the championship with four draws, and O 'Neill also won the fourth championship ring in his career.
In 2006-07, O 'Neill played only 40 games in the whole season and was injured in the middle of the season. The data also hit a new low in his career. He averaged only 17.3 points +7.4 rebounds in the whole season, and failed to be selected for the first time in his career.
One by one, O 'Neill was found injured. Hip injury and left knee pain greatly affected O 'Neill's performance on the court. In the 2007-08 season, O 'Neill lost the All-Star Game, and his record of consecutive 14 All-Star Games was ended, and he was traded to the Phoenix Suns in the middle of the season. Subsequently, O 'Neill began a wandering journey in the league, joining the Cavaliers and Celtics successively, and finally announced his retirement on 20 1 1.
Although he declined at the end of his career, O 'Neill is undoubtedly the most dominant center in the whole NBA history, even without adding one. At the peak of his three consecutive championships, he was the absolute core of the Lakers and a well-deserved insider overlord of the NBA. As long as he squeezes into the insider, no one can stop him. Dunk and hook are his most common ending methods. He forced the league to change the rules just to limit him, and he forced all his opponents to make "shark cutting tactics"
In addition to the power of the offensive end, the basket guarded by the tall and strong O 'Neill is also a nightmare for all opponents. His blocking ability is excellent, and his unparalleled strength is a nightmare for rude insiders. Even Yao Ming, a super center who restrained O 'Neill, could not take advantage of O 'Neill in his later years.
If there is a peak O 'Neill in the era of small ball, it is very likely that the whole era of small ball will be greatly impacted, and the traditional center of Meat Shield will not disappear from the fans' field of vision so soon. Unfortunately, this can only exist in the fantasy of fans. Fortunately, O 'Neill is still active in basketball after retiring, and he is a gold medal commentator.
In ESPN's latest historical player ranking, O 'Neill ranks 10, which is the best praise for his legendary career. He created a dynasty, worthy of this ranking. In the future NBA, there may be more and more peerless talents, but I don't think there will be another center with super dominance like O 'Neal!