Contemporaries · overlapped 13 seasons
Shaquille O'Neal vs Dirk Nowitzki
Shaquille O'Neal and Dirk Nowitzki were contemporaries, their careers overlapping for 13 seasons. On the floor, Shaquille O'Neal was the higher-volume scorer (23.7 points per game to 20.7); Shaquille O'Neal was the more efficient scorer (58.6% true shooting to 57.7%); Shaquille O'Neal controlled the glass (10.8 rebounds per game to 7.5). Shaquille O'Neal holds the edge on accolades — 1 MVP, 4 championships, 3 Finals MVPs and the #9 all-time ranking to Dirk Nowitzki's #25.
Career averages
| Shaquille O'Neal | Stat | Dirk Nowitzki |
|---|
| 23.7 |
Points / game |
20.7 |
| 10.8 |
Rebounds / game |
7.5 |
| 2.5 |
Assists / game |
2.4 |
| 0.6 |
Steals / game |
0.8 |
| 2.3 |
Blocks / game |
0.8 |
| 58.5% |
Field goal % |
46.6% |
| 2.2% |
3-point % |
37.9% |
| 52.6% |
Free throw % |
87.4% |
| 58.6% |
True shooting % |
57.7% |
| 1,207 |
Games played |
1,522 |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats aren't available for Shaquille O'Neal.
| Shaquille O'Neal | Stat | Dirk Nowitzki |
|---|
| — |
Offensive rating |
105.9 |
| — |
Defensive rating |
105.4 |
| — |
Net rating |
0.6 |
| — |
Usage % |
0.2% |
| — |
Assist % |
0.1% |
| — |
Rebound % |
0.1% |
Playoff averages
| Shaquille O'Neal | Stat | Dirk Nowitzki |
|---|
| 24.3 |
Points / game |
25.3 |
| 11.6 |
Rebounds / game |
10.0 |
| 2.7 |
Assists / game |
2.5 |
| 0.6 |
Steals / game |
1.0 |
| 2.1 |
Blocks / game |
0.9 |
| 56.3% |
Field goal % |
46.1% |
| 0.0% |
3-point % |
36.2% |
| 49.8% |
Free throw % |
89.2% |
| 216 |
Playoff games |
145 |
Accolades
| Shaquille O'Neal | Stat | Dirk Nowitzki |
|---|
| 1 |
MVP awards |
1 |
| 3 |
Finals MVP |
1 |
| 4 |
Championships |
1 |
| 12 |
All-Star selections |
14 |
| 8 |
All-NBA 1st Team |
4 |
| #9 |
All-time GOAT rank |
#25 |
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