So how does one who is considered the most dominant force of all time, 3 time final MVP winner, UNDER achieve? Nobody in real time called Shaq an under achiever. Its an internet Kobe/Shaq feud based talking point that makes little sense.
Shaq's 2001 Dominance
- Thread starter MJ Truth
- Start date
You can't stop a great offensive player individually. Especially one as physically dominant as Shaq.
Really hard to argue against it. He had everything going for him...physical tools, teammates/coaches, the way the game was played/officiated and just didn't want it. People always talk about performances like these but no one ever stops to question why he didn't do this against the Spurs (especially when Tim was cooking his ass) or against Dream. Dude was the classic bully. Drop 40/20 when going against an overmatched player/squad but we never saw that shyt when it was even or close to it and somebody was going at his neck.
Really hard to argue against it. He had everything going for him...physical tools, teammates/coaches, the way the game was played/officiated and just didn't want it. People always talk about performances like these but no one ever stops to question why he didn't do this against the Spurs (especially when Tim was cooking his ass) or against Dream. Dude was the classic bully. Drop 40/20 when going against an overmatched player/squad but we never saw that shyt when it was even or close to it and somebody was going at his neck.
En Sabah Nur
The First
1. was always a horrific FT shooter, and could have increased his scoring totals and avgs significantly if he worked to even be a 70% shooter
2. started several seasons slowly because he came back not being in top shape...once again this took away more potential numbers and mvp credentials
3. could've extended his effective years and not been so flabby later on if he took better care of his body
these were things definitely being said in real time
xXMASHERXx
Superstar
Shaq had plenty of criticism in real time while he was playing. Especially when he was coming into the season out of shape. So let me ask you this, do you believe that Shaq couldn't have achieved more in his career?
AlbertPullhoez
The Takeover
All I know is if you give Tim Duncan Kobe as his sidekick they probably win every title in the 00's together instead of only 3
"Underachieve" doesn't mean you didn't do shyt. It doesn't even mean that you weren't great or even amongst the greatest. It means that you didn't do as well as could reasonably be expected. You didn't maximize your potential/opportunities. Dude had everything one would need to go on a Russell type run while avg Wilt numbers and it wasn't injuries or bad management/teammates that held him back it was him. He didn't want that shyt. If he can do what he did against one of the GOAT defensive centers, what would stop him from doing this shyt all the time?
Controversy
Superstar
Kobe was the real MVP of the 2001 postseason
Shaq showed out in the finals
Kobe had a horrible G1 & then redeemed himself the rest of the series, he was the difference.
Shaq showed out in the finals
Kobe had a horrible G1 & then redeemed himself the rest of the series, he was the difference.
Dog from 2001-2004 who didn't Shaq shyt on? Legit?!?!? His team lost one finals series, and most would argue that it wasn't his fault.
Yall want Shaq to have won every year he played with Kobe right? Well he won over half of them. So winning 3 out of 4 titles, dominating everyone in his way (says Duncan which was mostly even), winning the finals MVP all of those three times wasn't enough? Haha. What would Shaq need to have done to be considered 'achieving his potential? Win 6 titles in a row???? Y'all remove certain context that is dumb as fukk. Shaq said he's gonna rehab on company time...okay, where were they at the end of the year. Shaq came into the season out of shape, okay where were they at the end?
Like if Shaq averaged 4 more PPG 2 more rebounds and another block in the regular season, he'd somehow have lived up to his potential? Again yall can be extremely shortsighted.
How old are you breh?
I'm thinking you didn't actually watch Shaq play in real time.
Not if you're giving Shaq another top tier perimeter player on his team, Duncan/Kobe would have hell getting through them.
Also, it's more likely Duncan would've been relegated to Kobe's sidekick than the other way around.
Shaq played from 92-11 breh. Those other years count too. He had everything needed to dominate individually and teamwise in the majority of those other years as well. We do this thing with him where we only talk about those 3 apex years and totally ignore all the other years where he was getting swept by squads with equal or less talent every year. We don't talk about defense with him, despite the importance and relevance of big man defense. And Shaq was the one who put the 28 and 15 shyt out there, despite never doing it.
I know we both didn't watch Wilt play in his prime...
Shaq didn't underacheive in anything.
He dominated in the NBA,.
released platinum records as a rapper,
hit movies,
multiple endorsement deals,
hit tv show in inside the nba.
He did it all and knocked it out the park everytime. What more do people want from him? Are you not entertained?
En Sabah Nur
The First
Well Shaq never averaged 30 ppg, so doing that throughout his prime would have him averaging over 30 a game from 1993-2003. That's MJ & Wilt level...More than 3,000 extra points during that stretch if he also took care of his body, which would also make him surpass Wilt for all-time scoring
So.....YEAH
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