Episode Details

This Legends of the Game episode of Basketball Now & Then brings overwhelming force to the spotlight with a dominant center comparison between Shaquille O'Neal and Moses Malone, two players who controlled the paint with strength, persistence, and physical dominance. Power. Presence. Relentless interior scoring.

The hosts explore how Malone’s work on the offensive glass, footwork, and second-chance scoring made him one of the most productive big men in NBA history. Then there’s Shaq, a generational force whose size, power, and efficiency near the rim made him nearly unstoppable at his peak. Similar dominance, different styles. One wore defenses down possession by possession, the other overwhelmed them with sheer force.

What connects them? Control of the paint. By linking Malone’s relentless motor to Shaq’s overpowering presence, Basketball Now & Then continues its mission of bridging generations, showing that when centers impose their will inside, the entire game shifts around them.

Paul Knepper is the author of The Knicks of the Nineties and hosts his own podcast. His latest book, Moses Malone: The Life of a Basketball Prophet will be released on November 1st.

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* With our classic episodes and legends series, we compare basketball players, not necessarily to see