Former NBA star Tyson Chandler appeared on the latest episode of the To The Baha podcast, where he was asked to pick the greatest individual season over the last 25 years. After much deliberation, Chandler went with Shaquille O’Neal’s 1999-00 season.
“I’m probably gonna go with Shaq because they won the chip,” Chandler said. “… It’s just too many accolades, and then also to end with a championship.”
O’Neal averaged 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.5 steals, and 3.0 blocks per game for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999-00. He fell just one vote shy of winning MVP unanimously and also finished runner-up in DPOY voting.
O’Neal made the All-NBA First Team and the All-Defensive Second Team in 2000. He was utterly dominant on both ends of the floor.
With O’Neal leading the way, the Lakers would finish with an excellent 67-15 record in 1999-00. They went on to win the NBA championship, and their superstar big man was named Finals MVP.
Even if one thinks this isn’t the greatest individual season, it’s certainly in the conversation. Some of the others that were mentioned on the podcast included James Harden in 2018-19, Russell Westbrook in 2016-17, Stephen Curry in 2015-16, Nikola Jokic in 2024-25, and LeBron James in 2011-12.
That might not be James’ best season, though. It’s the 2012-13 campaign that is often regarded as his greatest. James averaged 26.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game for the Miami Heat. He fell one vote shy of winning MVP unanimously and finished runner-up for DPOY.
That’s the same as O’Neal, but James ended up making the All-NBA First Team and the All-Defensive First Team in 2013. He was at the absolute peak of his powers then.
James powered the Heat to a 66-16 record in 2012-13, and they went on to win the championship. He was named Finals MVP, and this was just a magical season.
Chandler did consider putting James at the top, but went with O’Neal. He later went on to speak about going up against the Hall of Famer.
“When people tell me like, ‘Who’s the most dominant player you ever played against?’ I don’t count Shaq,” Chandler stated. “… You take Shaq out because there’s no guarding him. That was stupid.. That size, the way he moved, you could not stop him. It was impossible.”
Chandler brought up how O’Neal dominated against Dikembe Mutombo in the 2001 NBA Finals between the Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers. Mutombo had won DPOY in 2001, and O’Neal averaged 33.0 points on 57.3% shooting from the field in that series to lead his team to glory.
That stretch from 1999-00 to 2001-02 was O’Neal at his dominant best. He powered the Lakers to a three-peat, a feat that has not been replicated since.
Like Chandler, Richard Jefferson thinks O’Neal is the most dominant player ever. Teams just had no answer for him, and it would have been fascinating to see him in action in today’s NBA.
While some have raised doubts about how effective O’Neal would be in this era, he made it clear he would dominate. He almost certainly would have.
