Few players battled the giants of the late 1990s and early 2000s quite like Chris Webber. A five-time All-Star and the centerpiece of the Sacramento Kings’ rise to contention, Webber faced the era’s elite big men on a nightly basis.
But for him, one stood above the rest.
In a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Chris Webber didn’t hesitate when asked about the most dominant player he ever saw.
“The most dominant player I’ve ever seen is Shaquille O’Neal,” Webber said. “I think people just don’t realize how dominant, how athletic, how fast, how quick, and how strong he was — and that he had finesse.”
That last word is key.
When fans think of Shaquille O’Neal, they picture shattered backboards and overpowering dunks. But Webber emphasized something often overlooked: Shaq’s touch and agility. While coaches wisely kept him planted in the paint, All-Star Game flashes revealed a player capable of handling the ball, crossing over, and finishing with surprising grace for a 7-foot-1, 325-pound force.
Their fiercest battles came at the turn of the century, when Webber’s Kings and Shaq’s Los Angeles Lakers clashed in the Western Conference playoffs from 2000 to 2002. Those matchups became instant classics — high-level chess matches layered over bruising physical play.
Each time, O’Neal and the Lakers advanced, eventually completing a three-peat from 2000–2002. But Webber more than held his own. In 16 postseason games against the Lakers during that stretch, he averaged 24.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists while logging a grueling 44 minutes per night. The numbers reflect not just production, but endurance in one of the NBA’s most physical rivalries.
Ironically, the two nearly became teammates before they were rivals.
In 1993, the Orlando Magic — fresh off drafting O’Neal the year prior — selected Webber first overall. But he was traded on draft night for Penny Hardaway, reshaping the franchise’s future. Hardaway and Shaq would go on to reach the 1995 NBA Finals together.
O’Neal later admitted he often wondered what could have been if he and Webber had shared the floor.
“We probably could have done the same damage as Shaq and Penny did,” O’Neal once reflected.
While Webber remains firm in calling Shaq the most dominant player he faced, he’s fascinated by today’s evolving big men. He pointed to stars like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and especially Victor Wembanyama as examples of how the position has transformed.
Wembanyama, at 7-foot-4, particularly intrigues Webber. The Spurs phenom’s ability to post up, face up, step back, roll, pop, and handle in space presents a defensive nightmare.
“When I evaluate someone like that,” Webber said, imagining how he’d guard Wembanyama, “it’s absolutely scary. It’s really not fair.”
Still, for all the versatility and skill in today’s game, Webber’s standard for dominance remains anchored in Shaq’s prime. O’Neal averaged 23.7 points and 10.9 rebounds for his career, won four championships, and captured three straight Finals MVPs during the Lakers’ dynasty.
Skill evolves. Size adapts. Shooting stretches the floor.
But for Chris Webber, true dominance still looks like Shaquille O’Neal in his prime — overwhelming, relentless, and impossible to stop.