Comparing Jokic, Shaq, Kareem, And Olajuwon During Their First 8 Seasons

426083721_921391592643583_1649809222173848212_n

Two-time MVP and NBA champion Nikola Jokic has been a dominant force in the NBA since 2020, winning two MVP awards, an NBA title, and a Finals MVP in the first eight seasons of his career. Today, we will take a look at Jokic’s first eight seasons in comparison to Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon’s. It will not only show how he fits among some of the league’s greatest big men but also what kind of trajectory he is on as far as his legacy and career go.

Best Stats

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 29.5 PPG, 15.3 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.3 SPG, 3.5 BPG (4 Points)

2. Shaquille O’Neal – 27.5 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.7 BPG (3 Points)

3. Hakeem Olajuwon – 22.9 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, 2.0 SPG, 3.5 BPG (2 Points)

4. Nikola Jokic – 20.2 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG (1 Point)

No legendary NBA big man in this comparison had a better start to their career in terms of stats than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In his first eight seasons with the Bucks and Lakers, Kareem would be elite on both sides of the ball, averaging 29.5 points per game on 54.8% shooting and four seasons above 30.0 points per game. His defensive output was elite as well as one of two players in this comparison averaging over 1.0 steals and 3.5 blocks per game.

Shaquille O’Neal was also a two-time scoring champion in his first eight seasons with the Magic and Lakers. His immediate production upon arrival in the NBA and his scoring dominance make him the easy selection for second-place points on this list as well as his 12.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game.

Where Hakeem Olajuwon and Nikola Jokic fall just short of Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem during the first eight seasons of their careers is the presence of their entire repertoire. For Hakeem, it took time for his offensive production to catch up with his defensive output in Houston. For Jokic in Denver as a second-round pick, it took time for his game to reach its now elite form. Both reached levels that have made them two of the greatest centers ever.

Playoff Success In Their First 8 Seasons

*Every round advancement is worth one point

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 2 NBA Finals, 3 Conference Finals, 2 Semifinals (4 Points)

2. Shaquille O’Neal – 2 NBA Finals, 2 Conference Finals, 2 Semifinals, 1 First Round (3 Points)

3. Nikola Jokic – 1 NBA Finals, 1 Conference Finals, 2 Semifinals, 1 First Round (2 Points)

4. Hakeem Olajuwon – 1 NBA Finals, 1 Semifinal, 5 First Rounds (1 Point)

When speaking about these four players’ playoff success during their first eight seasons, it is important to know that all of them were successful during this period, some more than others. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was able to do some incredible things with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1970-1977. He led the Bucks to two NBA Finals appearances in 1971 and 1974 with a title coming in 1971. He also led his teams to three Conference Finals appearances and zero first-round exits.

Shaquille O’Neal had slightly more playoff success than most but less than Kareem from 1993 through 2000, reaching two NBA finals and two Conference Finals during this time. O’Neal would also claim an NBA championship in 2000, his first of three with the Lakers from 2000-2002.

Nikola Jokic was also able to claim an NBA championship in his one NBA Finals appearance from 2016-2023. He also led the Nuggets to a Conference Finals appearance in 2020 and two other second-round appearances. Hakeem Olajuwon made an NBA Finals early on in his career in 1986 with the Houston Rockets. Other than that, his teams only got out of the first round one other time and were eliminated five times.

NBA Championships And Finals Appearances

T1. Shaquille O’Neal – 1 NBA Championship, 2 Finals Appearances (4 Points)

T1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 1 NBA Championship, 2 Finals Appearances (4 Points)

3. Nikola Jokic – 1 NBA Championship, 1 Finals Appearance (2 Points)

4. Hakeem Olajuwon – 0 NBA Championships, 1 Finals Appearance (1 Point)

Once again, Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stand above their competitors in this comparison in the NBA championships and Finals appearances category. O’Neal appeared in the 1995 NBA Finals with the Magic, an appearance that ended in a sweep for Houston led by Hakeem Olajuwon. He would claim his first of three straight championships in his eighth season with the Lakers in 2000. Kareem would advance to and win his first NBA title in 1971 with the Milwaukee Bucks, claiming Finals MVP honors in the series. He would also advance to the 1974 NBA Finals with Milwaukee but fall to the Boston Celtics.

Nikola Jokic gets another two points for the NBA championship he led the Nuggets to in his eighth season in 2023. As it stands, it is the only NBA Finals appearance of his career. Hakeem Olajuwon is the odd man out in his first eight seasons, doing enough to advance to the 1986 NBA Finals but falling to Larry Bird and the Celtics in six games.

Major Awards

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 5x MVP, 1x Finals MVP, 1x Rookie Of The Year, 2x Scoring Champ (4 Points)

2. Shaquille O’Neal – 1x MVP, 1x Finals MVP, 1x Rookie Of The Year, 2x Scoring Champ (3 Points)

3. Nikola Jokic – 2x MVP, 1x Finals MVP (2 Points)

4. Hakeem Olajuwon – 2x Rebounding Champ (1 Point)

When it comes to major awards won in their first eight seasons, no player in this comparison comes close to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. During his first eight seasons, Kareem won five of his record six MVP awards, a Finals MVP in his second season as well as Rookie of the Year honors. He was arguably the best player in the game immediately upon entering the NBA and was rewarded heavily for outstanding production during this stretch of play

With three points in second place is Shaquille O’Neal once again. O’Neal was an MVP and Finals MVP in 2000 with the Lakers as well as a two-time scoring champ and Rookie of the Year with Orlando. Nikola Jokic is the only other player on this list to be named an MVP and Finals MVP in his first eight seasons, winning MVP awards in 2021 and 2022 and a Finals MVP in 2023.

Hakeem Olajuwon picks up one point for his two rebounding titles in 1989 and 1990 but had no other major awards won between 1985 and 1992.

Most All-NBA Team Selections

T1. Shaquille O’Neal – 7 All-NBA Team Selections (4 Points)

T1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 7 All-NBA Team Selections (4 Points)

3. Hakeem Olajuwon – 6 All-NBA Team Selections (2 Points)

4. Nikola Jokic – 5 All-NBA Team Selections (1 Point)

It is pretty clear that all four of these players were among the elite of the elite at the center position during the first eight seasons of their careers. Both Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar earned seven All-NBA Team selections in eight seasons. Kareem walked away with Six First Team selections to Shaq’s two while O’Neal also added three Third Team and two Second Team selections.

Hakeem Olajuwon was slightly more recognized than Nikola Jokic early on in his career, earning six All-NBA Team selections in his first eight seasons. Olajuwon’s six selections include three to the First Team and two to the Second Team. As for Jokic, his five All-NBA selections include three First Team selections and two Second Team selections.

Most All-Defensive Team Selections

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 6 All-Defensive Team Selections (4 Points)

2. Hakeem Olajuwon – 5 All-Defensive Team Selections (3 Points)

3. Shaquille O’Neal – 1 All-Defensive Team Selection (2 Points)

4. Nikola Jokic – 0 All-Defensive Team Selections (0 Points)

On the defensive side of the ball, only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon were considered among the best of the best early in their careers. If we just look at the numbers, we understand why they are the only two in this comparison with multiple All-Defensive Team selections in their first eight seasons. Kareem leads the way with six, averaging 1.3 steals and 3.5 blocks per game. Olajuwon fell just short of him with five All-Defensive Team selections averaging 2.0 steals and 3.5 blocks per game.

Shaquille O’Neal would earn an All-Defensive Team selection in his eighth season in 2000 and finish runner-up in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic has never sniffed an All-Defensive Team and according to his playstyle, will likely not take one home anytime soon.

Most All-Star Selections

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 8 All-Star Selections (4 Points)

T2. Shaquille O’Neal – 7 All-Star Selections (3 Points)

T2. Hakeem Olajuwon – 7 All-Star Selections (3 Points)

4. Nikola Jokic – 5 All-Star Selections

The category for most All-Star selections in this comparison speaks volumes about every player’s immediate impact on their team and the NBA as a whole upon their arrival. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a superstar right away with the Bucks and Lakers as the only player of these four to earn an All-Star spot in all eight seasons to begin his career.

Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O’Neal both miss out on that honor by one selection. This is thanks to the absence of an All-Star Game in 1999 thanks to a strike eliminating O’Neal’s chances at being named an All-Star all eight seasons. Hakeem Olajuwon would miss out as well in 1991 thanks to injuries that cost him 26 games.

Nikola Jokic did not start getting recognized as an All-Star until his fourth season in the NBA. In the six seasons since, he has been named an All-Star every season including this year in 2023-24.

Win Shares

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 149.5 Win Shares (4 Points)

2. Nikola Jokic – 94.5 Win Shares (3 Points)

3. Shaquille O’Neal – 94.1 Win Shares (2 Points)

4. Hakeem Olajuwon – 83.4 Win Shares (1 Point)

Advanced statistics will reveal a lot to us about each of these players’ impact on their teams in their first eight seasons as well. No player in this discussion had a greater impact on winning on the court than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with the Bucks and Lakers with a whopping 149.5 win shares in his first eight years. Kareem led the NBA six of eight seasons from 1970-77 in win shares and had six seasons with more than 15.0.

Nikola Jokic and Shaquille O’Neal are separated by just 0.4 win shares in their first eight seasons with Jokic taking the advantage with 94.5. Jokic led the NBA every season from 2021 through 2023 in win shares and recorded two seasons with more than 15.0. O’Neal also led the NBA in win shares in 2000 and recorded two seasons with more than 15.0.

Hakeem Olajuwon brings up the rear with 83.4 win shares from 1985 through 1992. While his peak would come just a few seasons later, he was able to have five seasons with more than 10.0 win shares during this time.

PER

1. Shaquille O’Neal – 27.9 PER (4 Points)

2. Nikola Jokic – 27.7 PER (3 Points)

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 26.9 PER (2 Points)

4. Hakeem Olajuwon – 23.7 PER (1 Point)

We now turn our attention to how efficient these four players were in their first eight seasons, measured by the always controversial PER stat. By a slight margin, Shaquille O’Neal was the most efficient player in his first eight seasons with a 27.9 PER. O’Neal had a PER of 25.0 or better in seven of those eight seasons including leading the league every year from 1998 through 2000 and reaching a 30.0 PER twice.

Nikola Jokic has also been historically efficient to begin his career. He also led the NBA in PER three times and reached a 30.0 PER or better all three times. Jokic has been so efficient in his career thus far, he currently sits as the all-time leader in PER with a 28.0 rating. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar finished just behind Shaq and Jokic with a 26.9 PER as well, leading the NBA six times in the stat from 1970-1977.

Hakeem Olajuwon’s 23.7 PER is nothing to be ashamed of either, it just doesn’t compare to the other three players in our comparison. However, Olajuwon did go 16 seasons in the NBA before having his first season with a PER under 20.0.

Who Was The Greatest Player During Their First Eight Seasons?

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 34 Points (8 Categories Won)

2. Shaquille O’Neal – 28 Points (3 Categories Won)

3. Nikola Jokic – 16 Points (0 Categories Won)

4. Hakeem Olajuwon – 15 Points (0 Categories Won)

It seems our formula has delivered once again with some interesting conclusions to be drawn from it. First, the conflict at hand is to determine if Nikola Jokic belongs in the conversation with the best of the best just yet. From what we have seen on the court, and this comparison, there is no doubt that his career is heading down the same path. However, to consider him on the same level as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal just yet is outrageous.

Jokic has been tremendous but the early seasons of his career have left him playing catch up with the legends ahead of him. His career is heading in a direction of rarified air but let’s not act like we haven’t seen a start to a career like his before because it is right in front of you that we have. If you wish to include him in the conversation with Hakeem specifically in their first eight seasons, by all means, it is warranted but let’s leave Kareem and Shaq out of it.

This isn’t to say that Jokic will end up being greater than all three of the players he is being compared to today because he certainly possesses the skill and abilities to get there. Based on their accomplishments, stats, and advanced analytics, he has a long way to go to be compared to the early stages of Kareem and Shaq’s careers.