Alright, let’s gab about them big fellas, the centers, from back in the 2000s. You know, the guys who banged around under the basket, all elbows and knees. The 2000s, that was a time, lemme tell ya. Basketball was real somethin’ back then.
Shaq, oh that Shaq, he was a monster! Big fella, strong as an ox. He played for the Lakers with that Kobe fella, and they won a bunch of championships, like three in a row! Can you believe it? Three! Shaq, he’d just push everyone around, dunk the ball, and nobody could stop him. He was somethin’ else. They called him the “Most Dominant Ever”, and for a good reason. He got them Finals MVP awards too, three of ’em. That means he was the best player in the finals, three times! He was a beast, that’s all there is to it.
- Shaq was strong.
- Shaq dunked good.
- Shaq won lots of championships.
Then you had other fellas, you know, trying to keep up with Shaq. It wasn’t easy, lemme tell ya. There was this Yao Ming fella, real tall, from China. He was somethin’ to see, all skinny and tall, but he could play. He wasn’t tough like Shaq, but he could shoot and block shots real good. He had some trouble with his feet though, poor fella. Injuries, you know, they get ya in the end. But when he was playing, he was a sight.
And don’t forget about Ben Wallace. Now, he wasn’t no scorer like Shaq or Yao. But that fella, he could rebound and defend like nobody’s business. He was the heart and soul of them Detroit Pistons, always hustling, always working hard. He won a championship with them Pistons, beat Shaq and Kobe and them Lakers! That was a shocker, lemme tell ya. Nobody thought they could do it, but Ben Wallace and them boys, they did it. He got himself some Defensive Player of the Year awards too, a bunch of ’em. He was the real deal on defense, that’s for sure.
There were other centers too, good ones. Alonzo Mourning, he was tough, a real fighter. Came back from a kidney problem, can you believe it? He played hard every game, never gave up. Jermaine O’Neal, he was good too, could score and rebound. And Dikembe Mutombo, that fella with the finger wag! “No, no, no!” he’d say, blocking shots left and right. He was fun to watch.
The 2000s, like I said, it was a good time for basketball. Lots of great players, not just centers. You had LeBron James, coming up, and Kobe Bryant, of course, and Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Garnett. All these fellas, they made the game exciting. But them centers, they were somethin’ special. They were the backbone of the teams, the guys who did the dirty work.
Nowadays, the game’s different, you know. Not so many centers playing like them old-timers. It’s all about shooting and running and small ball they call it. But back then, in the 2000s, them centers, they ruled the roost. They banged around, they fought for rebounds, they protected the rim. They were tough, they were strong, and they were fun to watch. And Shaq, well, he was the king of ’em all. The best center of the 2000s? Gotta be Shaq. No question about it. He was just too strong, too dominant. Nobody could handle him. That’s my two cents, anyway.
So yeah, the 2000s, that was the time of the big fellas, the centers. They were somethin’ special. And Shaq, well, he was the best of the bunch. You can’t argue with that. Those were the days, let me tell ya, the good old days of basketball.
