TNT (DR)

For a significant majority of observers and fans, Shaquille O’Neal is the most dominant basketball player in history

. However, two influential figures in the league have refuted this by naming several players who they believe are more deserving of this honorary title.

If Shaquille O’Neal is much more talked about today for his controversial opinions or for anecdotes linked to his fortune, he was once one of the best players in the league.

The Lakers legend has also won a large part of the latter thanks to his talent on the floor.

It only took a few seasons for it to enter the debate of the greatest interiors in history.

Better yet, the four-time champion is now considered by many to be the most dominant basketball player of all time.

We are no longer simply talking about a particular position, but rather about a style of play that is unstoppable for your opponents.

That being said, Shannon Sharpe expressed her disagreement with this widely held opinion in a recent episode of the show First Take :

Shaq downgraded among most dominant players all-time

People say Shaquille O’Neal was the most dominant player in history, that’s not true.

I can’t put him in front of everyone because Wilt averaged 50 points and 25 rebounds.

Wilt had another season in which he averaged 27 rebounds and scored 44 points. If you look at the top three scoring averages, this guy had 30 points and 23 rebounds per game in his career.

The counterattacks were not yet counted. So how many blocked shots do you think he would have had if they had? I put Kareem first, Wilt second, Shaq third.

If Stephen A. Smith agrees with Shannon Sharpe regarding first place in this ranking, it is on the other hand concerning the rest of the podium that his opinion differs.

Okay, I can live with that. However, excuse me, I can understand Bill Russell and his 11 titles and five rebounder titles.

Kareem is a no-brainer, but my problem with Wilt versus Shaq is that Wilt has a nemesis who has won nine more titles than him.

Like, directly against him at that time. No one would have done that to Shaq. That’s all the difference.

This comment from the former US football star comes almost a month after the clash between the Hall of Famer and himself .

Some will therefore see it as a form of jealousy, but the fact remains that these two opinions remain completely admissible.

In their own way, each of the big men that have been mentioned dominated during their respective era. Suffice to say that this debate is therefore not close to finding an end.

Although many agree that Shaquille O’Neal is the most dominant player in league history, Shannon Sharpe and Stephen A. Smith disagree with this opinion, believing that Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain or even Bill Russell deserve this title more.