Shaq Vs Olajuwon -- Who Has The Greatest Legacy?

Well, both are surefire top 10 players of all time. I think Shaq will have the greater legacy because of his four rings, because he dominated his era so completely in his prime (given the lack of quality bigs), because of his charisma, because of his quotable nature, and because he appeals to the streetball culture. He's much more marketable and more of a household name than Hakeem. Both have unique styles, but Shaq's just seems much more appealing to many casual fans.

I believe Hakeem was better because he was able to lead one of the worst championship casts in the league to a ring in 1994 and because he beat Shaq in 1995 despite having less help. (I also understand that Shaq's teammates choked, which didn't help his case, but it was a 4-0 sweep for the Rockets.) I believe his offense is underrated because he did his work against frequent double and triple teams. I believe that his early game is underappreciated, as he was able to team up with Sampson to beat the Showtime Lakers in six in their primes. I know that he was as complete a defensive big as I have ever seen, whereas Shaq could be abused on the pick and roll. I believe that Hakeem's moves were not only more aesthetically pleasing, but more in line with the spirit of basketball. I question whether Shaq would have been so dominant if his offensive fouls were called more consistently.

That's not to say that Shaq isn't a great player, or even a top 10 player. He dominated his position from 1999-2002 as much as I've ever seen anyone--but part of that is due to the pathetic state of the bigs in the NBA at that point. Shaq's resume speaks for itself, but I think Hakeem is better for the reasons I stated.

Olajuwon, and it's not even close.

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