Joel Embiid is having an incredible 2021/22 NBA season with the Philadelphia 76ers, leading them to the top 3 of the Eastern Conference standings while having an MVP-caliber season. The big man is on a tear this campaign and he doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
The Cameroonian center has drawn comparisons with all-time great players, including Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O’Neal. In recent days, Shaq and Embiid have been compared to each other. They have different styles of play and different tools to score, but both are dominant using them.
While Jay Williams claims that Shaq couldn’t have stopped Embiid if they played against each other, Embiid made it clear that he’s not as physically dominant as O’Neal was. Talking about the comparisons with the Big Diesel, Embiid made it clear that he’s a different player than the 4x NBA champion.
“I’m Joel Embiid. I don’t play the way Shaq did, dominant in other ways. I’m not physically dominant like he was. He was a freaking monster when he played. Obviously, Hall-of-Famer, one of the best ever. But I’m Joel Embiid, I dominate in other ways.”
"He was a monster when he played obviously a Hall of Famer, one of the best ever but I'm Joel Embiid."@JoelEmbiid on being compared to @SHAQ. pic.twitter.com/PSxn8bdO7C
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 3, 2022
Shaq was a menace in the paint, a ruthless dunker that didn’t hesitate to bully rivals at the rim. On the other hand, Embiid has a more well-rounded game. He can finish at the rim, but can also space the floor, shoot from the post, make some 3s and many more things.
This doesn’t mean that one or the other is better, it’s just the way that they found to dominate the game. Shaq is a big legend, one of the greatest centers of all time, while Embiid is trying to write his story in the league, emulate and surpass what the Los Angeles Lakers legend did during his active days.
