Shaquille O'Neal
1998–99
NBA player comparison
Shaquille O'Neal vs. Hakeem Olajuwon: 1998–99 season
Regular-season verdict
Shaquille O'Neal has the higher model estimate for the 1998–99 season
Hakeem Olajuwon
1998–99
Impact comparison
+6.4LeadsSeason impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+3.3
#5LeadsSeason impact rank#28
49Games50
1,705Minutes1,784
26.3LeadsPPG18.9
58.4%LeadsTS%55.9%
Shaquille O'Neal's estimated impact per 100 possessions was +6.4, compared with +3.3 for Hakeem Olajuwon. This compares their impact while playing, not their total contribution across the season. Both players are compared in the 1998–99 season using its published Impact Rate. A ranked comparison requires at least 450 minutes for each player.
Shaquille O'Neal: 49 games and 1,705 minutes. Hakeem Olajuwon: 50 games and 1,784 minutes. Playing time matters when judging the whole season; the impact estimate above is a rate, not a season total.
Read turnover rate alongside offensive workload. Offensive usage measures the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on the court—not every touch, pass, or act of playmaking. These rows provide context; they are not extra points added to the ranking.
Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.
Behind the estimate
Why the model rates them this way
A verified breakdown of this season’s published estimate is unavailable. We do not substitute another season’s calculation.
What this does not establish: these figures do not prove that either player made his teammates shoot better. A verified teammate-shooting comparison is unavailable for this selected season. A small difference in the estimates is not a decisive basketball distinction.
Full comparison · 1998–99 season
Understand the numbers
Start with impact, then compare playing time and skills. Team results add context. These are not categories to tally into a winner.
1 · Ranking evidence
Impact: who ranks higher, and why?
The impact estimate compares performance while playing, not total contribution over the season. The individual-stat estimate plus the lineup adjustment gives the final estimate.
| Metric | Shaquille O'Neal | Hakeem Olajuwon |
|---|---|---|
| Season impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average | +6.4 | +3.3 |
| Season impact rank | #5 | #28 |
Shaquille O'Neal: verified lineup window unavailable. Hakeem Olajuwon: verified lineup window unavailable. The adjustment is not necessarily based on this season alone.
2 · Playing time and responsibility
How much did each player take on?
Read games and minutes alongside impact. Offensive usage is the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on court. More usage is not automatically better.
| Metric | Shaquille O'Neal | Hakeem Olajuwon |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 49 | 50 |
| Minutes | 1,705 | 1,784 |
3 · Individual skills
Where does each player have an advantage?
These figures describe the selected regular seasons. They provide context, not extra points added to the verdict. Green marks a higher impact result above; these skill rows are not votes toward the ranking.
Shooting
True shooting includes two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws.
| Metric | Shaquille O'Neal | Hakeem Olajuwon |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 58.4% | 55.9% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Shaquille O'Neal | Hakeem Olajuwon |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 57.6% | 51.4% |
| Three-point percentage | 0.0% | 30.8% |
| Free-throw percentage | 54.0% | 71.7% |
Passing
Assist rate is the share of teammates’ made shots assisted while the player is on court. Read turnovers alongside offensive workload; lower turnover rate is generally better.
| Metric | Shaquille O'Neal | Hakeem Olajuwon |
|---|---|---|
| Assists per game | 2.3 | 1.8 |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Shaquille O'Neal | Hakeem Olajuwon |
|---|---|---|
| Rebounds per game | 10.7 | 9.6 |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Shaquille O'Neal | Hakeem Olajuwon |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 26.3 | 18.9 |
4 · Team context, not ranking inputs
What happened with and without them?
A verified with/without comparison is unavailable for this scope. We do not substitute another season’s observations.
Four separate questions
Impact, winning, playoffs, and awards
These are different ways to understand a career. Only Regular Season Impact determines the hussEyquation verdict. The other three sections add basketball context without adding points or changing the rank.
Regular Season Impact
Shaquille O'Neal has the higher model estimate for the 1998–99 season.
Shaquille O'NealMetricHakeem Olajuwon
+6.4LeadsSeason impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+3.3
#5LeadsSeason impact rank#28
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
Shaquille O'Neal leads every available measure below.
Shaquille O'NealMetricHakeem Olajuwon
1,031LeadsListed-team regular-season wins825
64.1%LeadsListed-team winning percentage57.1%
15Leads50-win team seasons5
4Leads60-win team seasons0
17LeadsPlayoff team seasons15
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.
Playoff Résumé
Shaquille O'Neal leads every available measure below.
Shaquille O'NealMetricHakeem Olajuwon
17LeadsPlayoff appearances15
216LeadsPlayoff games145
135LeadsTeam playoff wins76
6LeadsFinals appearances3
4LeadsChampionships2
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Shaquille O'NealMetricHakeem Olajuwon
15LeadsAll-Star12
1MVP1
14LeadsAll-NBA12
3All-Defense9Leads
0DPOY2Leads
1LeadsRookie of the Year0
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Major regular-season honors are recognition, not inputs to the impact ranking.
How each context field is counted
- Listed-team regular-season wins
- The sum of each listed team's final wins in every season the player represented that team.
- Listed-team winning percentage
- Those team wins divided by those teams' total regular-season games.
- 50- and 60-win team seasons
- Listed team-seasons that finished with at least 50 or 60 wins. Shortened seasons are not projected to 82 games.
- Team seasons reaching playoffs
- Listed team-seasons in which that team qualified for the playoffs.
- Playoff appearances and games
- Postseasons and games in which the player appeared.
- Team playoff wins
- Team wins from those postseasons. They describe team results, not individual credit.
- Finals appearances and championships
- Seasons when the player appeared in the playoffs for the finalist or champion.
- Awards
- Recorded NBA selections and major regular-season honors. A zero means the source records none; Not available means the source field is missing.
Source and scope Basketball Reference, NBA seasons 1950–51 through 2025–26, accessed 2026-10-09.
Selected seasons
Era-centered impact
Both bars show the same NBA season. Missing or unqualified data does not establish a winner.
Shaquille O'NealHakeem Olajuwon
Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average