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ORLANDO, FL – 1993: Shaquille O’Neal #32 of the Orlando Magic poses with Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls prior to playing an NBA game circ 1993 at the TD WAterhouse Centre in Orlando, Florida. Copyright 1993 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
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ORLANDO, FL – 1993: Shaquille O’Neal #32 of the Orlando Magic poses with Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls prior to playing an NBA game circ 1993 at the TD WAterhouse Centre in Orlando, Florida. Copyright 1993 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
One of the most common topics of debate among NBA fans is determining the greatest player of all time. Many names like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar are commonly brought up in that discussion. Some argue that there cannot be a single greatest player of all time. Considering that basketball is a team sport, every player has a separate role to play on the court. Therefore, they feel there can be the greatest team, but not a singular greatest player.
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal stood by this opinion and made a strong assertion to convey his point.
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On NBA on TNT, a few years ago they were debating if a healthy DeMarcus Cousins is better than Klay Thompson. When Barkley compared this discussion to saying Michael Jordan is better than centers, O’Neal said, “Michael Jordan is better than what big?…. Well, he ain’t better than Hakeem Olajuwon. Stay in your category.”
Was Michael Jordan really better than Hakeem Olajuwon?
Fans often argue that Jordan’s retirement was the only reason that Olajuwon and the Rockets won two championship rings. This claim is utterly baseless and makes little sense. While fans know that once Jordan came back he repeated the three-peat but he never faced Hakeem Olajuwon in the Finals. Until 1994, the Houston Rockets did not have a stable roster since Olajuwon reportedly demanded a trade in 1992.
If the rationale that the Bulls beat a team that beat Olajuwon’s Rockets to reach the Finals meant Jordan is better than Olajuwon would apply, it would be an absurd conclusion. With the same logic, Magic Johnson and Robert Parish won three of their championships when Jordan was in the league. Does that make them better than Jordan?
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LOS ANGELES, CA Spring, 1991 – Los Angeles Lakers Magic Johnson, right, is guarded by Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls in the 1991 NBA Finals in Los Angeles. (Photo by Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
How do you even compare a shooting guard with a center? They all have separate roles and a lapse in either could lead to a total collapse of their game. Therefore, it is absurd to claim that we can compare them to one another.
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