In this blog, we will compare the two greatest basketball players of all time: Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal vs Steph Curry. We will look at their individual statistics and accomplishments and try to determine who is the better player.
Michael Jordan Vs Shaq vs Steph Curry
| Career | Michael Jordan | Shaquille O’Neal | Stephen Curry |
| Games Played | 1,072 | 1,207 | 826 |
| Games Started | 1,039 | 1,197 | 820 |
| Minutes Played | 41,011 | 41,918 | 28,361 |
| Field Goals Made | 12,192 | 11,33 | 6,875 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 24,537 | 19,457 | 14,52 |
| Field Goal Percentage | 49.7% | 58.2% | 47.3% |
| 3-Pointers Made | 581 | 1 | 3,117 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | 1,778 | 22 | 7,29 |
| 3-Point Percentage | 32.7% | 4.5% | 42.8% |
| 2-Pointers Made | 11,611 | 11,329 | 3,758 |
| 2-Pointers Attempted | 22,759 | 19,435 | 7,23 |
| 2-Point Percentage | 51.0% | 58.3% | 52.0% |
| eFG% | 50.9% | 58.2% | 58.1% |
| Free Throws Made | 7,327 | 5,935 | 3,197 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 8,772 | 11,252 | 3,52 |
| Free Throw Percentage | 83.5% | 52.7% | 90.8% |
| Offensive Rebounds | 1,668 | 4,209 | 553 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 5,004 | 8,89 | 3,285 |
| Total Rebounds | 6,672 | 13,099 | 3,838 |
| Assists | 5,633 | 3,026 | 5,388 |
| Steals | 2,514 | 739 | 1,367 |
| Blocks | 893 | 2,732 | 187 |
| Turnovers | 2,924 | 3,31 | 2,598 |
| Personal Fouls | 2,783 | 4,146 | 1,981 |
| Points Scored | 32,292 | 28,596 | 20,064 |
| Points Per Game | 30.1 | 23.7 | 24.3 |
| Minutes Per Game | 38.3 | 34.7 | 34.3 |
| Assists Per Game | 5.3 | 2.5 | 6.5 |
| Rebounds Per Game | 6.2 | 10.9 | 4.6 |
| Points Per 36 Minutes | 28.3 | 24.6 | 25.5 |
| Rebounds Per 36 Minutes | 5.9 | 11.2 | 4.9 |
| Assists Per 36 Minutes | 4.9 | 2.6 | 6.8 |
Michael Jordan played in 1,072 NBA games and logged 41,011 minutes on the court. Jordan was selected as a starter in 1,039 games, and in those games, he averaged 30.1 points per game and totaled 32,292 points. In his NBA career, he averaged 28.3 points per 36 minutes while also grabbing 5.9 rebounds and dishing out 4.9 assists. Jordan had a 49.7% shooting percentage after making 12,192 shots out of 24,537 attempts.
He had a three-point shooting percentage of 32.7% after converting 581 of his 1,778 attempts from a distance. He had a rate of 51.0% after making 11,611 of his 22,759 two-point attempts. Jordan made 7,327 of 8,772 free throws, giving him an 83.5% free throw percentage. He had a 50.9% effective field goal percentage, as well as 2,783 violations and 2,924 turnovers.
Jordan finished his NBA career with 6,672 total boards, including 5,004 defensive rebounds and 1,668 offensive rebounds. He has 2,514 steals, 893 blocks, and 5,633 assists in his career. In terms of numbers per game, Jordan had an average of 3.8 assists and 6.1 rebounds.
In terms of passing the ball, O’Neal had 3,026 assists, 739 steals, and 2,732 rejections. He had 4.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game on average. In his NBA career, he grabbed 13,099 total rebounds, including 8,890 on the defensive end and 4,209 on the offensive end. While he had a 58.2% effective field goal percentage, he also had 3,310 turnovers and 4,146 fouls.
O’Neal had a free throw percentage of 52.7%, making 5,935 of 11,252 attempts. He had a shooting percentage of 58.3%, burying 11,329 of 19,435 attempts. In his NBA career, he attempted 22 long-range shots and made one of them, giving him a 3PT rate of 4.5%.
O’Neal converted 11,330 of his 19,457 shots for a 58.2% field goal percentage. He averaged 2.6 assists, 11.2 rebounds, and 24.6 points per 36 minutes. In his NBA career, O’Neal scored 28,596 points, averaged 23.7 points per game, and started 1,197 games. Shaquille O’Neal logged 41,918 minutes and appeared in 1,207 games during his career.
Stephen Curry has a count of 28,361 minutes and has taken the court in 826 games in his pro basketball career. Curry has scored 20,064 points in his professional basketball career, averages 24.3 points per game, and has started 820 games. He averages 6.8 dimes, 4.9 boards, and 25.5 points per 36 minutes.
Curry has a field goal percentage of 47.3% and has made 6,875 shots out of 14,520 attempts. With a total of 7,290 long-range tries in his career, he has a shooting percentage of 42.8%, having made 3,117 of them. He has a 52.0% shooting percentage after making 3,758 of 7,230 tries. Curry has a free throw percentage of 90.8%, having made 3,197 of his 3,520 attempts.
With an eFG% of 58.1%, he has also accumulated 2,598 turnovers and 1,981 personal fouls. He has 3,838 total rebounds in his career, with 3,285 on the defensive end and 553 on the offensive end. Curry has 5,388 assists, 1,367 steals, and 187 rejections when sharing the basketball. He averages 5.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.
| Most Recent Season | Michael Jordan – 2002-03 | Shaquille O’Neal – 2010-11 | Stephen Curry – 2021-22 |
| Games Played | 82 | 37 | 64 |
| Games Started | 67 | 36 | 64 |
| Minutes Played | 3,031 | 752 | 2,211 |
| Field Goals Made | 679 | 134 | 535 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 1,527 | 201 | 1,224 |
| Field Goal Percentage | 44.5% | 66.7% | 43.7% |
| 3-Pointers Made | 16 | 0 | 285 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | 55 | 0 | 750 |
| 3-Point Percentage | 29.1% | 0.0% | 38.0% |
| 2-Pointers Made | 663 | 134 | 250 |
| 2-Pointers Attempted | 1,472 | 201 | 474 |
| 2-Point Percentage | 45.0% | 66.7% | 52.7% |
| eFG% | 45.0% | 66.7% | 55.4% |
| Free Throws Made | 266 | 73 | 275 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 324 | 131 | 298 |
| Free Throw Percentage | 82.1% | 55.7% | 92.3% |
| Offensive Rebounds | 71 | 48 | 34 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 426 | 130 | 301 |
| Total Rebounds | 497 | 178 | 335 |
| Assists | 311 | 26 | 404 |
| Steals | 123 | 16 | 85 |
| Blocks | 39 | 42 | 23 |
| Turnovers | 173 | 56 | 206 |
| Personal Fouls | 171 | 120 | 130 |
| Points Scored | 1,64 | 341 | 1,63 |
| Points Per Game | 20.0 | 9.2 | 25.5 |
| Minutes Per Game | 37.0 | 20.3 | 34.5 |
| Assists Per Game | 3.8 | 0.7 | 6.3 |
| Rebounds Per Game | 6.1 | 4.8 | 5.2 |
| Points Per 36 Minutes | 19.5 | 16.3 | 26.5 |
| Rebounds Per 36 Minutes | 5.9 | 8.5 | 5.5 |
| Assists Per 36 Minutes | 3.7 | 1.2 | 6.6 |
Michael Jordan started 67 games and played 3,031 minutes on the court. In 82 games played, he scored 1,640 points and averaged 20.0 points per game. Jordan had an average of 19.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per 36-minute period. Jordan had a 44.5% field goal percentage, making 679 of his 1,527 shots.
Jordan made 16 of his 55 attempts from beyond the arc, giving him a 3pt rate of 29.1%. He made 663 of his 1,472 shots from inside the arc, giving him a 2pt percentage of 45.0%. Jordan had an 82.1% conversion rate when shooting from the charity line, converting 266 of 324 shot attempts.
Michael Jordan had a 45.0% effective field goal rate last season, lost the ball 173 times, and was called for 171 fouls. Jordan had 497 boards in his final season, 71 of which were offensive and 426 of which were defensive. Jordan had 311 assists, 123 steals, and 39 blocks in his final season. Jordan averaged 6.06 boards per game and 3.79 assists per game.
O’Neal averaged 0.7 assists per game and 4.8 rebounds per game. O’Neal had 42 rejections to go along with 26 dimes and 16 steals. In terms of rebounding, O’Neal ended with 48 offensive and 130 defensive boards for a total of 178. Shaquille O’Neal had 120 personal fouls in his final season, as well as 56 times he lost possession of the ball and a 66.7% effective field goal rate.
O’Neal made 73 of his 131 charity stripe attempts, giving him a clip of 55.7%. His 2-point percentage was 66.7%, as he made 134 of 201 shots. In terms of three-point shooting, O’Neal had a 0.0% success rate, making 0 of his 0 tries. O’Neal made 134 of his 201 attempts for a 66.7% field goal percentage. In 36 minutes, O’Neal averaged 16.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. In 37 games on the court, he scored 341 points and averaged 9.2 points per game. Shaquille O’Neal averaged 752 minutes per game and started 36 games last season.
Curry averages 6.3 assists per game while also collecting 5.2 rebounds. Curry now has 23 rejections, 404 assists, and 85 steals. Curry has 34 offensive rebounds and 301 defensive rebounds, giving him a total of 335 rebounds. This season, Stephen Curry has committed 130 fouls, lost the ball 206 times, and has a 55.4% effective field goal percentage.
Curry has hit 275 of 298 free throw attempts, giving him a clip of 92.3%. His two-point percentage is 52.7% after making 250 of 474 shots. Curry has a 38.0% shooting percentage from a distance, making 285 shots out of 750 attempts. Curry has hit 535 of his 1,224 attempts for a 43.7% shooting percentage.
Curry averages 26.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per 36 minutes. He has 1,630 points and an average of 25.5 points per game in 64 games played. Stephen Curry has played 2,211 minutes of basketball this season and has started 64 matchups.
NBA Championships and Seasons
Now, Let’s find out Curry vs Jordan stats below:
| Stephen Curry | Michael Jordan | |
| NBA Championships | 4 | 6 |
| NBA Seasons | 13 | 15 |
| Playoffs Played | 8 | 13 |
| All-Star Games | 8 | 24 |
Honors and Awards
| Stephen Curry | Michael Jordan | |
| Season MVP | 2 | 5 |
| Finals MVP | 1 | 6 |
| All-NBA First Team | 4 | 10 |
| All-NBA Teams
(Total Selections) |
8 | 11 |
| All-Defensive 1st Team | 0 | 9 |
| All-Defensive Teams
(Total Selections) |
0 | 9 |
| Defensive Player of The Year | 0 | 1 |
| Scoring Leader | 2 | 10 |
| Steals Leader | 1 | 3 |
| Rookie of The Year | 0 | 1 |
Read more:
FAQs
Who is best, Michael Jordan or Shaq?
Michael Jordan may be the greatest player of all time, but Shaq is definitely the most dominant in NBA history. While those titles have been anointed to them, respectively, it’s up to every fan in the NBA as to where that description begins and ends.
Did Shaq ever play against Jordan?
The two did not play against each other a lot of times during their careers, as Shaq joined the NBA just 6 years before Michael Jordan retired and left the Bulls. But during one of their games, he intentionally fouled MJ to avoid humiliation.
How many games did Shaq play against Jordan?
Shaq and Jordan only played in two playoff series against each other. Shaq and the Magic actually became the last team to defeat Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA playoffs.
Who is better Shaq or Kobe?
“Kobe has more titles than Shaq. He won more titles without Shaq than Shaq won without Kobe. If Shaq had the same level of skill at Kobe’s size, he would do absolutely nothing. If Kobe had Shaq’s size, he might’ve won 20 championships!
Is Curry better than Lebron James?
James has more MVPs, more Finals, more All-Star Teams, and more accolades than Curry. Compared to 8-time All-Star and 8-time All-NBA performer Curry, LeBron has 18 All-Star Teams under his belt and 18 All-NBA Team selections.
- Read more: Compare Stephen Curry Vs Lebron James
Was MJ a good 3-point shooter?
BUT IN the finals with the long 3, Jordan SHOT EVEN BETTER AT AN AMAZING 40 percent! Also, Jordan’s 3-point mastery is known across the world. He recorded the NBA’s most amazing and famous 3-point shooting display of all time when he hit six threes before halftime in game one of the 1992 Finals.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can see that Michael Jordan and Shaq had a very intense rivalry during their time playing in the NBA. Both players were extremely talented and competitive, and they pushed each other to be better. Even though they are no longer playing against each other, their legacy as two of the greatest players in NBA history will continue to live on.
