“He could have been the greatest ever” - Dan Patrick makes a big claim about Shaquille O'Neal, says both Shaq and Charles Barkley could’ve been so much better

Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal, years after their retirement, remain two of the most popular figures in the NBA community. They are regularly seen analyzing games, when they’re not hilariously bickering for the award-winning show "NBA on TNT."

The former MVPs capped off their legendary careers with their induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Despite their accomplishments, though, some still feel they could have achieved so much more.

On his podcast, Dan Patrick stated that he saw unfulfilled potential coming from Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley:

“There’s part of me that looks at Charles the way I do Shaq, that he could have been so much greater. It’s not fair to say that about Charles at 6’4-6’5 power forward. But I do look at him with that talent, and I think he could have been so much better, and I look at Shaq the same way.”

“He [O’Neal] could have been the greatest ever.”

Charles Barkley played so much bigger than his height. Despite standing only 6’4, he was skilled enough to become one of the best power forwards the NBA had ever seen. The players who are considered to be the best at his position are significantly taller than him.

“Chuck” rightfully deserves to be in the same conversation as Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, Kevin McHale, and Dirk Nowitzki. During Michael Jordan’s prime years, Barkley was viewed by many, including Dream Team coach Chuck Daly, as the second-best player in the NBA behind Jordan.

Shaquille O'Neal, on the other hand, had none of the undersized problems that Charles Barkley faced throughout his career. Shaq is a man mountain with the mobility of a smaller player. The three-time Finals MVP had arguably the most dominant peak in NBA history.

The “most dominant,” however, was the title Shaquille O'Neal seemed obsessed with. He and Wilt Chamberlain stand on the plateau of the most overwhelming physical forces the league has ever seen. Shaq, though, could have been a staple in the greatest ever conversation had he had more years of greatness.

During Shaq’s peak years from 1993-94 to 2002-03, he averaged 28.1 PPG, 11.9 RPG 3 APG and 2.5 BPG. He led the NBA in scoring twice and had the best field-goal percentage in seven of those years.

Shaquille O’Neal’s numbers were even more insane in the NBA Finals with the LA Lakers. In 20 games played in four championship series, Shaq posted 33.6 points, 14.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.4 blocks. He made 60.2% of his shots on numerous trips to the biggest stage in basketball.

---

NBA history could have been different had Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley had Michael Jordan’s drive for greatness

Shaq and Charles Barkley battled weight issues during their playing career.

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley, on different occasions, admitted they could have put in more work on their craft. Shaq would even concede that what made Kobe Bryant great was his maniacal work ethic, which is something he could not match.

O'Neal and Barkley also had to deal with weight issues during their careers. Both were the most dominant when they hit a certain playing weight. However, commitments outside of basketball and living the good life sometimes got in the way.

Shaq and the “Chuckster” have cemented their places in the pantheon of NBA greats. But one has to wonder, particularly with O’Neal, if he could have been the GOAT if he had been driven like Jordan.

“Superman” played for 19 seasons in the NBA, about the same length as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James. O’Neal, however, didn’t have the same consistent greatness as the two other LA Lakers icons.