Shaquille O'Neal vs. LeBron James vs. Tim Duncan: Who is the Most Dominant NBA Player of the Century? Achievements & Career Stat Comparison
There are many active and retired basketball stars who are worthy of the crown as the most dominant NBA player of the century. Picking a name from the long list of players who deserve the title could spark debates.
Who is the Most Dominant?
Hoops Hype recently conducted an online poll asking NBA fans to rank the most dominant basketball stars who have stepped on the NBA courts since 2000. Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James currently leads the poll with retired basketball players Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs) and Shaquille O'Neal (Boston Celtics) trailing behind.
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Matt Reevy of Sports Cheat Sheet also released his ranking of top NBA players of all time. Among Duncan, James and O'Neal, he gave the Spurs legend a higher rank. Reevy pointed out that Duncan is the best player of his generation who remained effective even after hitting 35.
On the other hand, Adam Augustyn of Brittanica has a different view. He picked James as the NBA's greatest with O'Neal and Duncan on the eighth and ninth spot. He reasoned out that the basketball superstar consistently evolved throughout the years by fixing his weaknesses.
While some fans think that he is the most dominant player in the history of the league, James has his own bet. He told Cleveland.com in May that O'Neal is the most dominant basketball player he has ever seen. He disclosed that he admired the center's pure force and ability to play.
Achievements & Stat Comparison
In terms of achievements and statistics, James apparently has an edge to Duncan and O'Neal. At 31 years old, the small forward already achieved three NBA championships, three NBA Finals MVP awards and four MVP trophies. In his 13 years with the league, he averaged 27.2 points, 6.9 assists and 7.2 rebounds.
Moreover, O'Neal ended his 19-year NBA career with 23.7 points, 2.5 assists and 10.9 rebounds. He also achieved a total of four NBA championships, three NBA Finals MVP awards and one MVP honor.
Duncan, who announced his retirement in July, has five NBA championship titles, three NBA Finals MVP awards and two MVP trophies in his 19-year career in the league. He averaged 19.8 points, 3.0 assists and 10.8 rebounds.
Aside from James, Duncan and O'Neal, Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) and Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) are also made it to the top five of Hoops Hype's online poll. Dwyane Wade (Chicago Bulls), Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers) and Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves) are also among of the top choices for the most dominant player of the century.
