Ranking Every Single Season of Shaquille O'Neal's NBA Career

20.

Chances are Shaquille O'Neal isn't the greatest player in Lakers history. You have at least Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, and Kobe Bryant to get through before him. But most entertaining? You can say that even without the NBA on TNT gig, his instant quotable interviews, and his hip-hop career(although the streets still need a You Can't Stop the Reign follow-up).

O'Neal is an entertainer simply from the anomaly of his hardwood existence. A big part of his success is how O'Neal was naturally adept at eating people alive on the court on a nightly basis—he didn't have to train all that much like his competitors. You see players coming up with plans and busting their ass to simply stay in the NBA. Yet, it's a certainty O'Neal is ending up on SportsCenter the next morning. It's some kind of dark comedy: Shaq does him, his opponents fall regardless of what they do, and we watch.

Today, Shaq turns 43. Now that he's a guy who shoots the shit with Charles Barkley instead of bringing down NBA backboards, it's worth looking back on his career to put it in perspective. Which is exactly why we've Ranked Every Single Season of Shaquille O'Neal's NBA Career. Consider it a gift from us to The Diesel.

19.2010-11

Stats: 9.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.1 BPG

There was a game my lady friend and I were watching where, to our bewilderment, Shaq showed up. “He still plays?!” she asked. The fact that O'Neal's tenure with the Celtics lasted longer than that relationship is probably one of his lone accomplishments in green.

18.2007-08

Stats: 14.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.6 BPG

O'Neal's transition to his old-man, team-hopping phase was not a pretty one. There's no way you should be in your 30s and be accused of faking injuries. That happened between Shaquille O'Neal and Pat Riley. Things got so heated between the two that, during one practice, O'Neal poked Riley in the chest during an argument over if Jason Williams should be sent home for being late. You know your ass is getting traded after touching Riley. However, it's not just the off-the-court drama that makes this O'Neal's second-worst season. He was barely average and barely looked like he was trying. Thus, his 14-year All-Star streak ended with a whimper.

17.2009-10

Stats: 12.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.2 BPG

The weird thing about the latter part of O'Neal's career is how he became this satellite object to the league's phenomena. First it was Dwyane Wade before he was washed, then Mike D'Antoni's system (past its peak, of course), and lastly, LeBron James before he became the villain. Who thought Shaq Diesel would become so small?

16.2008-09

Stats: 17.8 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.4 BPG

What if things happened a little different? Maybe the Suns wouldn't have been ousted by the Spurs the season prior had O'Neal been traded earlier, allowing the Suns + O'Neal to grow as a unit. But no. The Suns still remained titleless, and O'Neal had the misfortune of playing a full season after Mike D'Antoni's departure. O'Neal bounced back enough to make another All-Star appearance, however, he wasn't quite able to overcome Terry Porter's miscoaching and Amar'e Stoudamire's bad retina. O'Neal would miss his first postseason after 15-straight appearances. It wasn't a total wash, though; he owned the Raptors in the 45-point, 11-rebound game you see above.

15.2006-07

Stats: 17.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.4 BPG

Times change. Power is said to be the last thing to go, but that wasn't a good enough adage to help the Heat. This was 2007, and O'Neal was no longer the man to lead you to the promised land. In a sign of his future washedness, Dwyane Wade dislocated his shoulder earlier in the season and decided to play without surgery. This left the Heat with O'Neal tasked with being The Guy. But The Guy can't be putting OK numbers in the playoffs. Heat=SWEPT.

14.2005-06

Stats: 20.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 1.8 BPG

In which O'Neal wins his last championship and his first without him leading the effort. This was Dwyane Wade's time; O'Neal wasn't gonna average 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists to clinch a Finals after being down 0-2. This was Old Man Shaq: the player who was best in a supporting role. He did occasionally take it back to his better days (like in his 28-point game against Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals). Unglamorous, but it still got him a championship and an extra reason to shit on Kobe. Bully for him.

13.1995-96

Stats: 26.6 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 2.4 BPG

Just in case there were any doubts after the last three seasons, yes, O'Neal is fallible. The Finals run marked the last time O'Neal would play over 78 games in a season. Instead of an Achilles' Heel, O'Neal had Achilles' appendiges. The thumb and toe would cut his playing time later in his career. This season it was his thumb, and O'Neal missed the first 22 games of the season because of it. The season wasn't a wash, though. O'Neal's stats took a slight hit, but the Magic still made it to the playoffs. And then they faced the Bulls…

12.2002-03

Stats: 27.5 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.4 BPG

The biggest knock from many—including Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson—was O'Neal's work ethic. He just happened to naturally have the gift of breaking men on the hardwood. Hard work was an option, and sometimes that got in the way of better judgment. O'Neal missed the first 12 games of this season because he decided to get surgery on his toe shortly before training camp started. His reasoning was callous as hell: “I got hurt on company time, so I’ll heal on company time.” Yeah, his numbers were still consistent, but this ain't greatness. You can see why Bryant could've been aggravated with him. And what's more? The invincible Lakers actually didn't win a championship! The Spurs, who would become the closest thing to a dynasty after the Lakers' fall, ousted them in the semifinals.

11.2003-04

Stats: 21.5 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 2.5 BPG

Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant in one team works wonders on NBA Live. Not so much in real life apparently. Whatever dysfunction was going on in the Lakers organization manifested itself this season; a team with this much talent should've accomplished far more. A lot wasn't quite right, but O'Neal shoulders a good portion of the blame because this was the season where he really fell off as a Laker. He was flaccid compared to his three-peat run. Give him credit, though: during the Finals, O'Neal was one of the lone bright spots of a squad that saw Bryant shooting a putrid 38.1 percent, and Payton and Malone averaging less than five points per game. Then Jackson left, Malone retired, and O'Neal got traded. All the happy left Staples Center.

10.2004-05

Stats: 22.9 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.3 BPG

The mid-2000s was a time when O'Neal was worth a Caron Butler, a first-round pick (Jordan Farmar—ouch), and an Odom. That was also an era where, if you looked hard enough and believed, you can catch some vintage Shaq. For example, there's that 34-point, 17-rebound November game against the Raptors. He put up 40 a little over a week later against the Wizards. Sadly, he couldn't quite take over during that lost Conference Finals series against the Pistons.

9.1996-97

Stats: 26.2 PPG, 12.5 PPG, 2.9 BPG

In a situation that would repeat itself years later, O'Neal hit L.A. for more money and that ego-feeding, unquestioned leader role. He had a young Kobe by his side before the Mamba ego fully developed. There were great things on the horizon for the two, but they had to wait. For now, the Lakers had to deal with O'Neal missing significant time due to injury and that weird problem Bryant had with putting up bricks. O'Neal was still getting his, though, along with almost getting a piece of Dennis Rodman's jaw.

8.1997-98

Stats: 28.3 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 2.4 BPG

With an average of 28.3 points and 11.4 rebounds, O'Neal was still great. But it just wasn't his time. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal weren't on Karl Malone and John Stockton's level yet. And none of them were on Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen's level. On the other hand, none of those legends caught bodies like Shaq did.

7.1998-99

Stats: 26.3 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 1.7 BPG

Phil Jackson didn't sign with the Lakers yet, David Robinson had to get his title, and the Knicks still had one more title to fuck away. This was a season for the Lakers to flourish for a bit before the takeover began. The highlights didn't come as easy for O'Neal, except for some 38-point games aganist the SuperSonics and the Trailblazers. But it's as Jay Z and Memphlis Bleek say, “You let your shit bubble quietly/ And then you blow.”

6.1992-93

Stats: 23.4 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 3.5 BPG

Shaquille O'Neal was something else when he had hair and was a fresh-faced No. 1 pick out of LSU. His 23.4-13.9 average was good enough to win him a Rookie of the Year and a spot as an All-Star starter (Shaq was the first to do so since Michael Jordan). Reading the accolades don't quite do him justice, though. Look at his highlight reel. O'Neal was out here taking it rim-to-rim, breaking backboards, rubbing his nuts on dudes, and the bodying folks. Who raised this fool?

5.2001-02

Stats: 27.2 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 2.0 BPG

It was business as usual for O'Neal and the gang this season. In the Finals, O'Neal was pissed at the fact that he now had to face an unworthy Eastern Conference team. So he disposed of them immediately. Big Diesel dominated with 36.3 points per game as the Lakers swept the Nets. And that was that for the Bryant-O'Neal regime.

4.2000-01

Stats: 28.7 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 2.8 BPG

The Shaq-Bryant regime continued to dominate. You could be David Robinson and still catch a hot one. This was the season Allen Iverson fever reached peak levels. The Answer had that amazing 48-point performance in Game 1 of the Sixers' Finals against the Lakers. Reasonably so, this made many overlook O'Neal's own impressive 44-point, 20-rebound performance. O'Neal was the central piece (a piece that damn near had a quadruple-double) to a larger puzzle that included an improving Kobe Bryant. Iverson was their whole team, so the Sixers had to take this L.

3.1993-94

Stats: 29.3 PPG, 13.2 13.2 RPG, 2.9 BPG

As you should guess, O'Neal improved in his second season. You don't need that much analysis to know that 29.3 points per game and 13.2 rebounds per game is a great stat. I had originally used the word “insane” instead of “great” to give myself room to describe his 24-point, 28-rebound, 15-block performance on Nov. 20 against the Nets. Should've left it as is. There aren't words to describe that statline.

2.1994-95

Stats: 29.3 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 2.7 BPG

This season silenced O'Neal doubters. Not only did he shoulder his team to the playoffs, but he did so during the tough '90s. That's impressive even without Michael Jordan's will hanging over you. O'Neal was taking apart cats like Patrick Ewing (who he put up 41 points against) and Alonzo Mourning (34 points to Mourning's 35). Then he got humbled. The showdown vs. Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets came in the NBA Finals, and although O'Neal did well, The Dream roasted him by putting up 30 points in every game. There's a reason O'Neal says Olajuwon is the only man who ever intimidated him. The Magic got swept. That first title would have to wait.

1.1999-2000

Stats: 29.7 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 3.0 BPG

This is what dominance looks like, kids. A 30 PPG season from O'Neal is different from a 30 PPG season from Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, and Kobe Bryant. There were a number of ways the latter three could beat you: a cut to the rim, a jumper, an alley-oop, etc. Imagine the futility in knowing that O'Neal was going to beat you almost exactly how you saw it in the game film: power and just banging it on you every chance he gets. Doom came in Purple and Gold, and for the Lakers Nation it was the beginning of something special. The highlights of O'Neal's MVP season include that 61-point, 23-rebound game against the Clippers and that Bryant-O'Neal alley-oop that completed a comeback against the Blazers in the Western Conference Finals. Of course, that last one remains the most memorable—not just because of the dunk, but also the image afterwards. The camera flashes to an excited Bryant and to O'Neal in ecstasy, as if his father came home from work one night with a surprise Playstation 4. It was pure joy for perhaps the largest fanbase in the NBA. It was perhaps THE moment of Shaq's career. O'Neal had left his music career behind him at this point, but that was OK. He had stopped dropping albums to become one of the greatest centers of all time.