Nate Thurmond: "Shaq is Better than Wilt"

[eliteballer]

BGSU great Thurmond likes Shaq over Wilt

The league is growing younger, taller and more athletic. Thurmond understands how difficult it would be for him to compete as a slender center in this era.

What's wrong with today's NBA?

Nothing, as far as Thurmond can see.

“I think the talent of the players today is more advanced. The Tracy McGradys and Kevin Garnetts - tall players who can dribble and pass like guards. David Robinson, Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal. These players are quicker and stronger than the ones I had to face,” said Thurmond, remarkably well-kept for 59.

Wilt Chamberlain or Shaquille O'Neal? The two most powerful centers of all time. I hung on Thurmond's every word.

Thurmond was Chamberlain's teammate his first 11/2 years in the pros. They were the first official “Twin Towers.”

“What a great learning experience,” said Thurmond. “Five days after leaving Bowling Green, I'm getting off the plane and practicing against Wilt.”

All of which makes Thurmond's admission even more revealing. Nate's a Shaq fan.

“Wilt was a giant. But 60 percent of his points came on fadeaways. He was a powerful man who didn't always play that way,” said Thurmond, who does community-relations work for the Warriors and owns a barbecue restaurant in San Francisco.

“Shaquille O'Neal, he's a different player. He presents a problem none of us had to face.

“He's more than 300 pounds, with speed, power and quickness. Most of the big guys I played against were lumbering types, nothing like Shaquille. I just feel that at my 6-11, 235, I would have had a problem with him. He moves people out of the way, dislodges them. Wilt was more finesse.

“How could I have had a solution for Shaquille? He's 100 pounds heavier than me.”

https://www.toledoblade.com/Opinion/...over-Wilt.html

[Marlo_Stanfield]

Wilt>Shaq its not really that close

[jstern]

His older age could be influencing him though.

One thing that I always notice about myself is how less capable I feel when I see athleticism this day in age, vs 10 years ago. Hard to explain, I'm more amazed by things that wouldn't have amazed me 10 years ago. And I could myself in the players shoes ten years ago, yet feel so incapable this day in age.

(When it comes to athleticism, I'm less amazed and care less by things like dunks and game winners, which drive younger kids crazy.)

[navy]

No shame in that.

[LAZERUSS]

https://www.toledoblade.com/Opinion/...over-Wilt.html

Not once in that interview does he claim that Shaq was better than Wilt.

He said that Shaq would have presented him with a problem "that none of us had to face."

So what?

"Wilt was more finesse."

[eliteballer]

[QUOTE=LAZERUSS]Not once in that interview does he claim that Shaq was better than Wilt.

He said that Shaq would have presented him with a problem "that none of us had to face."

So what?

"Wilt was more finesse."

[sd3035]

Puts to rest the laughable argument a few idiots made about Wilt being as strong as Shaq

[Springsteen]

Imagine how many points Shaq would score in that era if Wilt scored 100 in a game.

[sd3035]

Imagine how many points Shaq would score in that era if Wilt scored 100 in a game.

probably 200 if he wanted to

[Rocketswin2013]

LOL I LOVE THIS.


"BUT, BUT, WILT WAS THE STRONGEST ATHLETE EVER!"

[aj1987]

Why the **** is this a thread?!



Shaq>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Wilt and it's not even close.

[Jameerthefear]

Lazerus's heart has been ripped apart

[LAZERUSS]

Puts to rest the laughable argument a few idiots made about Wilt being as strong as Shaq

Prove it.

I can produce articles in which Wilt was benching 465 lbs, and many with over 500.

I have seen articles that claimed that Shaq could bench 455, YET, only a couple of years ago, on national TV, he couldn't budge 405 (which BTW, an SI article in 1964 basically credited Wilt with.)

[Rocketswin2013]

Only delusional people really thought Wilt was stronger......


I still think peak Wilt was at least as good...But the little myths and shit stop here.

[BasedTom]

Well Wilt's been dead for the past 15 years. I do expect Shaq to be better than him.