Cross-era · careers 3 years apart

Shaquille O'Neal vs Michael Cooper

Shaquille O'Neal 1992-2010 · Center Michael Cooper 1978-1989 · Guard

Shaquille O'Neal (1992-2010) and Michael Cooper (1978-1989) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 3 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 8.8); adjusted for era they scored at 2.48× and 0.84× their league average respectively; Shaquille O'Neal was the more efficient scorer (58.6% true shooting to 54.3%). Shaquille O'Neal holds the edge on accolades — 1 MVP, 4 championships, 3 Finals MVPs and the #9 all-time ranking to Michael Cooper's #65.

Career averages

Shaquille O'NealStatMichael Cooper
23.7 Points / game 8.8
10.8 Rebounds / game 3.2
2.5 Assists / game 4.2
0.6 Steals / game 1.2
2.3 Blocks / game 0.6
58.5% Field goal % 46.8%
2.2% 3-point % 29.1%
52.6% Free throw % 83.2%
58.6% True shooting % 54.3%
1,207 Games played 873

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

Shaquille O'NealStatMichael Cooper
2.48× Points vs era avg 0.84×
2.60× Rebounds vs era avg 0.75×
1.16× Assists vs era avg 1.67×

Advanced metrics

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

Advanced stats weren't tracked in Michael Cooper's era.

Playoff averages

Shaquille O'NealStatMichael Cooper
24.3 Points / game 9.4
11.6 Rebounds / game 3.4
2.7 Assists / game 4.2
0.6 Steals / game 1.2
2.1 Blocks / game 0.6
56.3% Field goal % 46.1%
0.0% 3-point % 32.6%
49.8% Free throw % 77.6%
216 Playoff games 168

Accolades

Shaquille O'NealStatMichael Cooper
1 MVP awards 0
3 Finals MVP 0
4 Championships 5
12 All-Star selections 0
8 All-NBA 1st Team 0
#9 All-time GOAT rank #65

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