Shaquille O'Neal Will Be Revered As Most Physically Dominant Player Ever

It's funny to say that a seven-footer is in the shadow of someone that stands 6'8", but that's exactly what is happening in Cleveland this season as Shaquille O'Neal has let superstar LeBron James have all of the spotlight.

But last night, the loveable Shaq stepped out of that shadow for a moment as his 16-point performance made him one of five players in NBA history to reach the 28,000-point plateau.

O'Neal now trails just Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time scoring list. And though it is highly unlikely he will move any further up the list, you simply can't deny that Shaq will be remembered as one of the most dominant players to in the game of basketball.

Some would say Chamberlain's absurd, night-in night-out high scoring performances would make him the most dominant. Others would say Jordan's killer instinct and load of talent in every aspect of the game would give him that label. Eleven-time NBA champion Bill Russell also often enters this discussion.

If you believe O'Neal isn't the most dominant player in NBA history, I would agree with you. However, I am confident that Shaq will be revered as the most physically dominant player to ever play.

His 7'2", 330-pound frame certainly plays a large factor in his dominance, but his ability to do anything he wants in the post, his ability to control defenses by drawing double teams, and his ability to pass out of those double-team situations are what make him the most physically dominant player.

I'm a huge stats guy, so let me throw some statistics your way if I still don't have you convinced. In O'Neal's rookie season with the Magic, he averaged 23 points and 13 rebounds, becoming the first rookie since Jordan in 1985 to be named an All-Star.

He followed his rookie season with 10 consecutive seasons of averaging at least 26 points and 10 rebounds. During that span he also won a league MVP award, three titles with the Lakers, and three NBA Finals MVPs. O'Neal was also named an All-Star during each of those seasons. His 15 All-Star appearances rank him second behind Abdul-Jabbar's 18.

People often argue that O'Neal has always been complimented by another superstar, so his four titles aren't as impressive as they seem. O'Neal tag-teamed with Penny Hardaway and Grant Hill in Orlando, Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, Dwayne Wade in Miami, and now with James in Cleveland.

He has always benefitted from other supreme talent around him, but during his prime with Los Angeles, O'Neal was the go-to-guy. He was the one who took control of games, he was the one the Lakers looked to in the clutch, and he was the one player they couldn't live without. That was proved mightily as it took the Lakers a couple of seasons to get back on their feet after O'Neal's departure.

Miami was a different story. The Heat were unquestionably led by Wade, but just the presence of O'Neal in the post was enough to keep defenses honest with Wade. And though it was Wade's team, Shaq still averaged 19 points and eight rebounds in three-and-a-half seasons with Miami.

O'Neal's brief stint with Phoenix was regarded as a failure early, but O'Neal proved fans and critics wrong by putting up 17 points and eight rebounds per game to show that he still had something to give to the game of basketball other than entertainment.

Now with the Cavaliers, O'Neal is averaging a meager 10 points a game, but scoring isn't the role that he was expected to fill. That's what James is for. O'Neal was brought in for the sole purpose of putting a defensive powerhouse in the post to handle Dwight Howard and other big men that have plagued Cleveland. So far, so good.

The Cavs are 32-11 after Tuesday's 108-100 victory over the Raptors. And though O'Neal is clearly on the fringe of retirement, all he has to do is stand in the paint to be that physically dominant force we will always remember.