Contemporaries · overlapped 15 seasons
Shaquille O'Neal vs Kobe Bryant
Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant were contemporaries, their careers overlapping for 15 seasons. On the floor, Kobe Bryant was the higher-volume scorer (25.0 points per game to 23.7); Shaquille O'Neal was the more efficient scorer (58.6% true shooting to 54.9%); Kobe Bryant created more for others (4.7 assists per game to 2.5). Kobe Bryant holds the edge on accolades — 1 MVP, 5 championships, 2 Finals MVPs and the #6 all-time ranking to Shaquille O'Neal's #9.
Career averages
| Shaquille O'Neal | Stat | Kobe Bryant |
|---|
| 23.7 |
Points / game |
25.0 |
| 10.8 |
Rebounds / game |
5.2 |
| 2.5 |
Assists / game |
4.7 |
| 0.6 |
Steals / game |
1.4 |
| 2.3 |
Blocks / game |
0.5 |
| 58.5% |
Field goal % |
44.5% |
| 2.2% |
3-point % |
32.7% |
| 52.6% |
Free throw % |
83.5% |
| 58.6% |
True shooting % |
54.9% |
| 1,207 |
Games played |
1,346 |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats aren't available for Shaquille O'Neal.
| Shaquille O'Neal | Stat | Kobe Bryant |
|---|
| — |
Offensive rating |
100.8 |
| — |
Defensive rating |
114.6 |
| — |
Net rating |
-13.8 |
| — |
Usage % |
0.3% |
| — |
Assist % |
0.2% |
| — |
Rebound % |
0.1% |
Playoff averages
| Shaquille O'Neal | Stat | Kobe Bryant |
|---|
| 24.3 |
Points / game |
25.6 |
| 11.6 |
Rebounds / game |
5.1 |
| 2.7 |
Assists / game |
4.7 |
| 0.6 |
Steals / game |
1.4 |
| 2.1 |
Blocks / game |
0.7 |
| 56.3% |
Field goal % |
44.4% |
| 0.0% |
3-point % |
32.6% |
| 49.8% |
Free throw % |
81.1% |
| 216 |
Playoff games |
220 |
Accolades
| Shaquille O'Neal | Stat | Kobe Bryant |
|---|
| 1 |
MVP awards |
1 |
| 3 |
Finals MVP |
2 |
| 4 |
Championships |
5 |
| 12 |
All-Star selections |
15 |
| 8 |
All-NBA 1st Team |
11 |
| #9 |
All-time GOAT rank |
#6 |
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