Patryk Stachowiak
“I would just beat you up.” — Shaq on why today’s centers wouldn’t stand a chance.
The Diesel Still Roars
Shaquille O’Neal has never shied away from bold statements, especially when it comes to how he’d fare in today’s NBA. Known for his mix of humor and honesty, “Diesel” often dives into the timeless debate of how legends from the past would dominate the modern game. This time, the Hall of Famer once again made his case — and backed it up with trademark logic and confidence.
Speaking with The Guardian in 2022, O’Neal explained that modern big men simply wouldn’t be built to take the kind of punishment he dished out nightly during his prime. According to him, today’s centers rely too much on finesse and perimeter shooting — a far cry from the physical interior battles of the 1990s and early 2000s.
“All these jump-shooters … that just tells me you don’t like contact. I would just beat you up. And now you’re trying to guard me — you don’t have those legs and your arms are sore, your shot won’t be falling the same,” O’Neal said.
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Shaq: The Reason Big Men Changed Their Game
The evolution of basketball has shifted away from the bruising post play that once defined the sport. Today’s centers space the floor, stretch defenses, and take threes like guards. Ironically, Shaq takes partial responsibility for that transformation. His dominance, he says, made opponents rethink how they approached the paint entirely.
“I do miss those big rivalries and I chuckle at the fact that big guys don’t want to play inside no more — and it’s all my fault,” O’Neal admitted. “When I came along and started beating people up, big guys started stepping out.”
O’Neal points to stars like Victor Wembanyama, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett as products of that evolution — bigs who blended power with skill and range, changing the expectations for the position forever.
Shaquille O’Neal. Source: artphotolimited.com
“I’d Average 50 in Today’s NBA”
During his MVP season in 2000, O’Neal posted a monstrous stat line — 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game. That was an era of crowded lanes and relentless contact. In today’s open, three-point-heavy landscape, he believes the numbers would skyrocket.
“Somebody asked me the other day what would I average (in this era). I would average 50,” O’Neal said on The Pivot Podcast. “You shoot a three on me, ‘Joker,’ you better make it, because I’mma run by you, stand in the middle of the lane, and watch your whole team go, ‘Three seconds!’ Penny gonna push that, and I’mma dunk it.”
It’s a bold claim — but considering his unmatched combination of size, power, and agility, it’s not entirely far-fetched. Few, if any, modern bigs could withstand the constant physical pounding that defined O’Neal’s game. His dominance would still translate — just in a different way.
Would Shaq Still Dominate Today?
While the modern NBA emphasizes spacing, shooting, and versatility, the fundamentals of physical dominance remain timeless. O’Neal’s mix of brute strength and footwork would still pose an impossible matchup problem. Even with more stretch centers in today’s game, the Diesel’s inside presence could force teams to adjust their entire defensive schemes.
One thing remains certain — if Shaq played in 2025, he wouldn’t just score; he’d redefine how we talk about post play in a league that’s seemingly forgotten it.
“I’d beat you up,” O’Neal said — and after watching him terrorize defenders for nearly two decades, it’s hard to argue otherwise.