Shaquille O’Neal’s 1999-2000 Season His Finest, Among NBA’s Greatest Ever

Only Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, LeBron James and — somewhat surprisingly — David Robinson have ever had a more efficient NBA season that Shaquille O'Neal had in 1999-2000.

O'Neal's greatest season ranks as the 11th best season ever had in the NBA in terms of PER, and of those ranked ahead of it, only Michael Jordan's 1990-91 campaign also resulted in a championship.

Shaq had a player efficiency rating of 30.6, and compiled 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 3.0 blocks per game. Those numbers were career bests in each category but blocks and rebounds. He set those marks in his rookie season in 1992-93 with Orlando.

The Lakers won 67 games that year, and Shaq, in terms of winshares, accounted for 18.6 of those wins himself, well over a quarter of the total. He led the league in both offensive (11.7) and defensive (7.0) winshares that year.

He did, though, shoot better from the floor than from the free-throw line. His field goal percentage was 57.4, but his mark from the line was 52.4. The zenith of his foul-shooting career came in 2002-03 when he shot 62.2 percent.

Shaq may have been dominant for over a decade, but his 1999-2000 campaign was by far his most exceptional.

NESN.com will showcase one Moment of Shaq every day until the
Celtics open the season against the Heat on Oct. 26 at the TD Garden.

Sept. 4: Shaq calls out Mo Williams.