OT- Basketball all team, OB,IG,EIO.

[McCarthy12]

Olajuwon is underrated. Shaq had nowhere near his skill. I'd take Dream over Shaq every day.

[Irish George]

not at all

I will start by lowering my credibility since I never saw Wilt, Kareem, Russell, Walton, or Thurmond play regularly. Shaq and Olajuwon are the two best centers I've seen(1a and 1b), and I'd be willing to bet they played against tougher competition in their day than the big men that came before them.

Center play has become a lost art. Duncan is a throwback but a lot of these guys today cannot play with their back to the basket. Every night Wilt faced somebody like Russell, Walt Bellamy, Nate Thurmond, Wayne Embry, etc. All of those guys were beasts who knew how to play center.

Who are these great centers of Shaq's and Akeem's time of which you speak?

[Irish George]

Exactly. Barkley led the league in 'bounds at 6-4

I've always felt that Shaq should have dominated more. For his size he should have dominated when it came to rebounding. Rodman wanted the ball when it came off the cylinder. Shaq is not even close to the Dream.

Barkley once told me rebounding was 75 percent desire.

[RSE]

The numbers, which are available online, do not flatter Wilt.

That's not a crime; KAJ was, in his Milwaukee years, the greatest low post center the game has seen since young Wilt himself. It would have been interesting to see Jabbar against the young Wilt. I bet he would lit up Russell.

[Irish George]

pound for pound, inch for inch...

Charles was right up there for me.

http://www.nba.com/sixers/video/sear...&query=barkley

[Dim Bulb]

Uwe Blab

Two words: Detlef Schrempf

Much better

[Mr. Triple Dip]

You think Shaq should have dominated more than he did? He was the most dominant player in the league for a long stretch, and he wasn't exactly a chump when it came to rebounding.

[RSE]

My own personal underrated great: Bernard King. Holy shit he was amazing. Goddamn knees.

[RSE]

Another: Clyde Frazier. I could watch him play all day.

[Mr. Triple Dip]

Who are these great centers of Shaq's and Akeem's time of which you speak?

I never said anything about great centers. That era did see some really good/great big men though David Robinson, Duncan, Ewing, Mourning, Mutombo, Malone, Ben Wallace, Sabonis(not in his prime when he joined the NBA).

I stand by both the opinion that I am ignorant to the Wilt era as well as that I don't think the competition overall was as good it is now. Would Wilt score 100 in today's NBA?

[McCarthy12]

No doubt. Charles was the man.

[TerpEagle]

All-Time Underrated Movie Star Team (not playing themselves)

C: Gheorghe Muresan
F: John Salley
F: Rick Fox
G: Jesus Shuttlesworth
G: Mark Jackson

[Irish George]

you take it personally that your opinion is ignorant?

I'm sure your subordinates at BAC would have a chuckle over that.

[Irish George]

you might be right

really dont feel like trying to track that down but of course I take your word for it. Alcindor more than lived up to his hype coming out of UCLA...and Oscar doesn't get his championship until he gets a shot to play with him...and O's presence only enhances Lew's skills...I just always felt his game became a lot more tentative, and he was physically intimidated.

He wouln't be alone there among some other pretty good players. Johhny "Red" Kerr used to tell some great Wilt stories. He claimed that after his face got in the way of a Wilt outlet pass "You could see an impression of the ball's pebble grain and seams on my forehead."

[Irish George]

BWAHAHAA

never said anything about great centers? You said the competition was tougher ...you aren't backing up your point, bro.