Cross-era · careers 9 years apart

Shaquille O'Neal vs Elvin Hayes

Shaquille O'Neal 1992-2010 · Center Elvin Hayes 1968-1983 · Forward

Shaquille O'Neal (1992-2010) and Elvin Hayes (1968-1983) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 9 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 21.0); adjusted for era they scored at 2.48× and 1.97× their league average respectively; Shaquille O'Neal was the more efficient scorer (58.6% true shooting to 49.2%). Shaquille O'Neal holds the edge on accolades — 1 MVP, 4 championships, 3 Finals MVPs and the #9 all-time ranking to Elvin Hayes's #42.

Career averages

Shaquille O'NealStatElvin Hayes
23.7 Points / game 21.0
10.8 Rebounds / game 12.5
2.5 Assists / game 1.8
0.6 Steals / game 0.7
2.3 Blocks / game 1.4
58.5% Field goal % 45.2%
2.2% 3-point % 4.5%
52.6% Free throw % 67.0%
58.6% True shooting % 49.2%
1,207 Games played 1,303

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

Shaquille O'NealStatElvin Hayes
2.48× Points vs era avg 1.97×
2.60× Rebounds vs era avg 2.57×
1.16× Assists vs era avg 0.78×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats aren't available for Shaquille O'Neal.

Advanced stats weren't tracked in Elvin Hayes's era.

Playoff averages

Shaquille O'NealStatElvin Hayes
24.3 Points / game 22.9
11.6 Rebounds / game 13.0
2.7 Assists / game 1.9
0.6 Steals / game 1.0
2.1 Blocks / game 2.3
56.3% Field goal % 46.4%
0.0% 3-point % 0.0%
49.8% Free throw % 65.2%
216 Playoff games 96

Accolades

Shaquille O'NealStatElvin Hayes
1 MVP awards 0
3 Finals MVP 0
4 Championships 1
12 All-Star selections 12
8 All-NBA 1st Team 3
#9 All-time GOAT rank #42

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