GOATvs › NBA Players › Face-off
Shaquille O'Neal vs Yao Ming
Which player? Pick one and see how the world splits.
- Shaquille O'Neal Los Angeles Lakers · 1972– 74% · #4 in the world
- Yao Ming Houston Rockets · 1980– 26% · #127 in the world
What the votes say
A clear win: the world picks Shaquille O'Neal over Yao Ming, 74% to 26%. Shaquille O'Neal is #4 of the 250 NBA players in the world ranking, and #2 of the 14 of the Los Angeles Lakers. Yao Ming is #127, and #9 of the 12 of the Houston Rockets.
The case for each
Shaquille O'Neal: The most physically dominant center of his era at 7-foot-1 and over 300 pounds: four titles, three straight Finals MVPs with the Lakers (2000-2002) and the 2000 MVP.
Yao Ming: The 7-foot-6 No. 1 pick of 2002 from Shanghai who brought the NBA to China: eight All-Star selections with Houston before foot injuries ended his career in 2011; Hall of Fame 2016.
Side by side
| Shaquille O'Neal | Yao Ming | |
|---|---|---|
| World rank | #4 | #127 |
| Team | Los Angeles Lakers | Houston Rockets |
| Born | 1972 | 1980 |