Shaquille O'Neal vs Bob Cousy
Shaquille O'Neal (1992-2010) and Bob Cousy (1950-1969) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 23 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Shaquille O'Neal was the higher-volume scorer (23.7 points per game to 18.4); adjusted for era they scored at 2.48× and 1.80× their league average respectively; Shaquille O'Neal was the more efficient scorer (58.6% true shooting to 44.6%). Shaquille O'Neal holds the edge on accolades — 1 MVP, 4 championships, 3 Finals MVPs and the #9 all-time ranking to Bob Cousy's #13.
Career averages
| Shaquille O'Neal | Stat | Bob Cousy |
|---|---|---|
| 23.7 | Points / game | 18.4 |
| 10.8 | Rebounds / game | 5.2 |
| 2.5 | Assists / game | 7.5 |
| 0.6 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 2.3 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 58.5% | Field goal % | 37.5% |
| 2.2% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 52.6% | Free throw % | 80.0% |
| 58.6% | True shooting % | 44.6% |
| 1,207 | Games played | 924 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Shaquille O'Neal | Stat | Bob Cousy |
|---|---|---|
| 2.48× | Points vs era avg | 1.80× |
| 2.60× | Rebounds vs era avg | 0.90× |
| 1.16× | Assists vs era avg | 3.34× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats aren't available for Shaquille O'Neal.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Bob Cousy's era.
Playoff averages
| Shaquille O'Neal | Stat | Bob Cousy |
|---|---|---|
| 24.3 | Points / game | 18.5 |
| 11.6 | Rebounds / game | 5.0 |
| 2.7 | Assists / game | 8.6 |
| 0.6 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 2.1 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 56.3% | Field goal % | 34.3% |
| 0.0% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 49.8% | Free throw % | 79.5% |
| 216 | Playoff games | 109 |
Accolades
| Shaquille O'Neal | Stat | Bob Cousy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MVP awards | 1 |
| 3 | Finals MVP | 0 |
| 4 | Championships | 6 |
| 12 | All-Star selections | 13 |
| 8 | All-NBA 1st Team | 10 |
| #9 | All-time GOAT rank | #13 |
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