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Who played better in the NBA Finals, Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O’Neal? Here’s a comparison between the two legends of the Lakers. Let’s see who wins this duel.
Image credit: Fadeaway World
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal will forever be linked through their efforts in Los Angeles. The former Lakers teammate helped create one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history. Afterwards, it led to feuds, reconciliations and friendships that lasted until Bryant’s tragic death in 2020. O’Neal is a three-time Finals MVP winner, while Bryant won it twice on his own in the late 2000s. No matter who you think is “better,” these players will always make one of the best Lakers in history.
The Kobe vs. O’Neal debate isn’t as important as Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James, but if you’re talking about rankings of Lakers players, it’s a debate. Both players are the stars of the Lakers, and these two players are the reason why the Lakers choose between the two. Recently, we did a career comparison between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe won the matchup.
After the 2004 NBA Finals, the Lakers kept Kobe and traded O’Neal. Regardless, the pick ended up being a good one, as Bryant led the Lakers to the NBA Finals again in 2008, 2009 and 2010. With so many appearances, it’s time to take a closer look at how Kobe compares to O’Neal in the NBA Finals.
Here’s Kobe Bryant vs. Shaquille O’Neal in the NBA Finals.
integral
Kobe Bryant: 25.3 points per game (937 points)
Shaquille O’Neal: 28.8 points per game (865)
Kobe has more points than O’Neal because he played in more Finals. Bryant played in seven NBA Finals, including six games in one series and seven games in the other. Bryant played a total of 37 games, while O’Neal played 30 games. Kobe played in four Finals with O’Neal, but he was the secondary scorer. It wasn’t until the 2008 to 2010 races that his average improved. These include an average of 25.7 in 2008, an average of 32.4 in 2009 and an average of 28.6 in 2010.
Bryant had one series averaging at least 30 points per game, while O’Neal had three, all during his three-peat. In 2000, O’Neal led the team with 38.0 points. His 38.0 points per game is the fourth-highest scoring average in NBA Finals history, behind only Michael Jordan’s 41.0 points (1993), Rick Barry’s 40.8 points (1967) and Elgin Baylor’s 40.6 points (1962 ). O’Neal scored 33.0 points in 2001 and then 36.3 in 2002.
Advantage: Shaquille O’Neal
rebound
Kobe Bryant: 5.7 rebounds (211 total)
Shaquille O’Neal: 13.1 rebounds (393 total)
Given that position, it’s no surprise that Bryant loses out in this category. That being said, Bryant has rebounded at an above-average pace in several of his Finals appearances. Bryant averaged over 5.0 rebounds four times in seven appearances. These include 5.6 in 2009 and 5.8 in 2002. Two series performed very well, 7.8 in 2002 and 8.0 in 2010.
O’Neal averaged double digits in rebounding in all six games. In his 1995 debut, he averaged 12.5 rebounds per game. That number grew to 16.7 in 2000, when he averaged an impressive 38.0 points per game. O’Neal followed with 15.8 in 2001 and 12.3 in 2002. In 2004, that number dropped to 10.8, and he finished with a double-double in 2006 at 10.2.
Advantage: Shaquille O’Neal
assist
Kobe Bryant: 5.1 APG (187 total assists)
Shaquille O’Neal: 3.4 APG (103 total assists)
Bryant may not have been the primary point guard, but a lot of the offense was on him, even when O’Neal was playing with him. Given how many shots O’Neal made, it’s surprising that his best assist numbers weren’t when he was playing with O’Neal. His best assist average came in 2009, when he averaged 7.4 per game. Bryant averaged 5.0 assists in the other three series.
When O’Neal has the ball, he doesn’t think about passing. However, O’Neal averaged 6.3 assists and 5.3 turnovers per game for the Magic in 1995. Twice in that series, O’Neal had nine assists in a game. O’Neal averaged 4.8 assists per game in the 2001 Finals, but most of the time, that number was below 4.0 per game. That includes his worst average of 1.6 in the 2004 Finals.
Advantage: Kobe Bryant
steal
Kobe Bryant: 1.8 SPG (65 total steals)
Shaquille O’Neal: 0.5 SPG (16 total steals)
In terms of steals, Bryant’s best game was five steals against the Celtics in 2008. He had four games with at least 4 tackles and another with 3 tackles. For the most part, the numbers are pretty flat. The 2008 Finals was the only time he averaged more than 2.0 steals per game, finishing the series with 2.7.
O’Neal’s steal numbers won’t impress anyone. He had four games with two steals, and the rest of his snaps consisted of one steal. O’Neal had one Finals game and averaged at least 1.0 steals per game. That was during the 2000 Finals. Other than that, he’s lucky to get more than 0.5 per game.
Advantage: Kobe Bryant
blocks
Kobe Bryant: 0.9 BPG (33 total blocks)
Shaquille O’Neal: 2.1 (61 total blocks)
For a guard, averaging nearly one block a game is something most teams hope to have. Bryant was no slouch on defense, but that state will belong to O’Neal. Kobe had 4 blocks in one game during the 2009 Finals. He has 3 blocks in 2 games and 2 blocks in 7 games. He averaged over 1.0 blocks three times per game and averaged 1.4 blocks per game in the 2000, 2001 and 2010 Finals.
O’Neal owned the paint during his time with the Magic and Lakers. O’Neal’s best Finals game came in 2001, when he had eight blocks. He also had five blocks in one game, four in another six and three in four. O’Neal has averaged at least 2.0 blocks per game in four of six games, including his best 2.4 in the 2001 Finals.
Advantage: Shaquille O’Neal
hit rate
Kobe Bryant: 41.2% FGG, 31.4% 3P, 84.8% FT
Shaquille O’Neal: 60.2% FGG, 0.0% 3P, 48.4% FT
O’Neal took advantage of the overall shot, but Bryant scored at least two of the three shot clips. Bryant shot at least 60 percent from the field in three games in the Finals and shot 50 percent in five games. As for the 3-point shot, Bryant intends to take it easy because O’Neal never shoots from the perimeter. In terms of free throw percentage, Bryant hit 100 percent in 16 games in the Finals and 90 percent in four more games.
In the 2004 Finals, O’Neal’s shooting percentage was as high as 81.3% (13 of 16 shots). O’Neal shot at least 60 percent on 17 attempts. Shooting at least 70 percent from the field four times. On four outside shots, O’Neal never made a 3-pointer. For free throws, O’Neal is the worst shooter in history. In just two games, he’s shot over 80 percent from the free-throw line. He’s shot better than 60 percent in nine games. His poor shooting has 13 games of 40 percent or less.
Advantage: Kobe Bryant
Final record
Kobe Bryant: 5-2
Shaquille O’Neal: 4-2
When Bryant won his first three championships, many pointed the finger at O’Neal’s performance as he won three consecutive Finals MVPs. That being said, Kobe was just as important to those teams. When O’Neal was traded to the Heat, Bryant had to prove he could win without him. Bryant did this by beating the Magic in 2009 and the Celtics in 2010. The 2010 Finals was an epic seven-game series that ended with Kobe leading his team all the way in the fourth quarter. The only time Kobe lost without Shaq was in 2008 against the fellow Big Three Celtics.
For O’Neal, he won the championship before Kobe, but he wasn’t the best player on the 2006 Heat team. The Finals MVP award went to Dwyane Wade, a sensational scorer who took over in the series against the Mavericks. O’Neal posted his worst scoring and rebounding numbers in that series. That being said, no one can underestimate what he’s done during the Lakers’ three-peat, including averaging more than 38 points and 16 rebounds in the series.
Advantage: Kobe Bryant
final result
Kobe Bryant 4-3 Shaquille O’Neal
Who’s the better Finals performer: Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O’Neal?
Before answering the question, let the record show that this could be either way. Frankly, both players needed each other during their time with the Lakers. Both are indispensable, the Lakers cannot win three championships. As you know, the stats and Finals records are pretty close. What are you watching about the performers? The better interior scorer and rebounder is O’Neal. The better playmaker and defender is Kobe. Kobe is also a more comprehensive shooter, while O’Neal is a shot-blocking maniac.
Given that this is a pretty close argument, it comes down to Bryant’s fifth championship and the fact that he played in the seven-game series. O’Neal has never played in a seven-game series in his six appearances. He hit 6 games twice in 2000 and 2006. As mentioned, the 2006 series had many great moments led by Wade rather than O’Neal. In the 2010 Finals, the Lakers reversed from a 3-2 deficit. Bryant led the team with 26 points in Game 6 and 23 in Game 7. Both players are unbelievable, but if you look at all the stats, Kobe deserves the nod.
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