Add Shaquille O'Neal to the list of legends who trashed the current era of the NBA. Despite the modern game being heavily reliant on the three-point shot and faster pace-and-space action, the four-time NBA champion believes he would still dominate the league today.
In a report by Lloyd Johnson of Express Sport, Shaq certainly had a lot to say about the NBA and its players today.
“If I played today, I’d average 50, without free throws,”
“I’d average 50, because guys don’t play physical.”
“They whine and they cry; I’m going to punish everybody.”
Shaq was known as a notoriously bad free throw shooter, being just a 52.7% shooter from the stripe for his career. In spite of his low percentage from the line, and considering the fact the does not shoot threes, the 7-foot-1 behemoth believes he can still average 50 based solely dominating down low like he used to.
But the three-time NBA Finals MVP may be on to something here. The game was a lot more physical when he was winning championships left and right in the 2000's, and more so in the 1990's.
Shaq is arguably the most dominant force the NBA has ever seen. His game was based on brute force and getting physical down low as he dismantled defenses using his size and superhuman strength. The game back then adjusted to Shaq's domination in the paint, in the same way that the modern game right now has adjusted to Steph Curry's domination from the outside.
On this current era that the league is in, players find a lot more space to operate due to the abundance of shooters in the league. But one can that all this space would only give Shaq more room to barbecue whoever would be left with him on an island down on the block.
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