Nick's Top 50 NBA Players of the Last 50 Years #9-8: Hakeem Olajuwon & Shaquille O'Neal

You're in good hands with All States savings. Very terms apply All State Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.

course Steph Curry. Those rankings were a little difficult because three of those six guys still active players. Hell, when we recorded the Steph Curry segment his season was still going on. Yannis, could he what would have happened had he won the title this year? Durant? How much was his ranking affected by them losing in round one this year? Spoiler alert? His ranking wasn't actually negatively affected, but it could have obviously been positively affected had they gone on

to make the finals or win the title. These two guys we get to today as we are now into the top nine, have been long retired. However, one of them, I'm sure all of you have a litany of fire memories of and the other I think you're going to hear his name, be like I always hear about what a great player he is, and I'm sure you watched him win his titles. But I don't think anybody. I shouldn't say anybody. I think most of you will be shocked by the jaw dropping numbers these two guys nine

to eight. Spoiler alert. They're both sinners. And if you know it's the fifty Grays players the last fifty years, you probably know who they are. Now their playoff dominance has almost been undersold, even if you know they were dominant. So let's get right into the list. We are down to only two people per episode. Eventually we'll get to one person per episode. But number nine on the list

is Shaquille O'Neill. Number nine, Shaquille O'Neill. Shaquille O'Neill will go over the resume quickly and then we'll get to the playoff stuff and then we'll have a long discussion. Eight time first Team All NBA, two time second Team All NBA, four time Third Team All NBA. That is fourteen all NBA teams, tied for the fifth most ever. He only won one MVP, which is insanity, but eight times he finished in the top five. He's a two time scoring champion. He's three time All Defense. He is

eighth all time in blocks. He has eighth all time in points. Over his ten year prime, he averaged twenty eight points, twelve rebounds, three assists, three blocks in year two at age twenty one years old, fresh out LSU. He was twenty nine and thirteen that good in year two. He also was the guy who allowed me kind of set the precedent for me including Luca in my fifty of the last fifty because he was included on the NBA's fifty year anniversary team, even though he'd only been

in the league five years. Before I get into the playoffs stuff. I want to say something about shaq I think you could argue, In fact, I would argue under these parameters, he would be considered the greatest player ever. If the question is you can have any player in NBA history for one game at his apex peak of his powers, who are you choosing? My answer is Shaquille O'Neal, Because as great as Jordan was, as great as Kareem was, as great as Lebron was, even at their apex peak,

they might have an off night. It's unlikely, but they might have an off night. As I will prove to you during Shaquille O'Neill's true apex peak, he never had an off night when he cared. Ever, he had a three year run of not only zero bad finals games, but fifteen for fifteen on outstanding kick your teeth in finals games. But that's not that's not the only reason he's ninth on the list. But it's one hell of a start, okay. So let's get to the playoffs. He's

a four time champion. He has three finals MVPs. He has six finals appearances, and he was the unquestioned best player on five of those six finalists. I would argue he was the best player on the sixth finalist, the six Heat during the regular season, but in the playoff run, obviously d Wade was the best player. And in fact, here's a shocking stat antwin Walker was the second leading scorer during the finals on those Miami Heat teams. Shaq

was third leading scorer. But we'll get We'll spend more time on that once we get to that year of his career. So let's just go and this is gonna be how we do it. I need to take a sip of this coffee because there are going to be a lot of numbers here. I understand for podcast listeners, even for the YouTube viewers, it can be a lot to process. But I know sometimes you listen to podcasts on one and a half speed. You might want to even slow this down because we're giving you a lot

of numbers, but they are all jaw dropping. Nineteen ninety four, his first playoff game ever, twenty four points, nineteen rebounds, three assists, two steals, five blocks. That is his first playoff game of his career. The very next year, the series, we pretend didn't happen. Hey, raise your hand if you were the best player on a team that beat Michael Jordan in a playoff series during Jordan's prime. You know who gets to raise his hand, Shaquille O'Neill. And that's it.

Nineteen ninety five against the Bulls averages twenty four points, thirteen rebounds, four assists, two blocks. Us to get to the finals. In the next round, in the conference finals, averages twenty seven to ten, including two different games with at least thirty five points and ten rebounds. In the finals against the greatest defensive player of the last fifty years, a Kim Olajuan. He's in his third year. He's in

the finals against a keeam. Twenty eight points per game, thirteen rebounds per game, six assists per game on sixty percent shooting. But they got swept. Nick Anderson misses the four free throws and the shock getting swept was going to be a theme. But when I tell you twenty eight, thirteen and six on sixty percent shooting in the finals, now keep this in mind. That will be the worst finals performance we see from Shack over the next decade.

Nineteen ninety six, the very next year, starts the playoffs, or starts round two off with a forty one, thirteen and six to the Eastern Conference Finals against those seventy two win balls, but the Bulls then sweeping. So now he got swept by a team and got swept by Michael. How did Shack do when he got swept? Just a humble twenty seven points, eleven rebounds, four assists, two steals, two blocks. That was his average while getting swept. One of the reasons he left, like, Okay, I give you

twenty seven eleven, four to two and two. When I get my ass swept out of the playoffs, may I need to leave? Goes to LA first playoff game with the Lakers forty six and eleven, and then they play Utah in round two, loses to Utah. Averages for the playoffs twenty seven, eleven and three nineteen ninety eight. In his first Western Conference Finals averages for the playoff run in nineteen ninety eight, not for his series, not for

the entire playoff run. In nineteen ninety eight, Shaquille O'Neal averages thirty one points, eleven rebounds, three assists, three blocks on sixty one percent shooting In his first Western Conference Finals, he has a thirty nine and fifteen followed by a thirty eight and seven. Lost both those games because he got swept again. So this is young Kobe. Kobe as

the airballs. He's not ready shack again on Carl Malone and the defending Western Conference champion Jazz hangs a thirty nine and fifteen, fall by thirty eight and seven, loses them both, and now it's like, oh boy, like shack Sher gets swept a lot the next year, nineteen ninety nine for the playoffs, averages twenty seven and twelve. But guess what happens to him in round two? Guy named Tim Duncan is in the league. Now he sweeps him.

So now Shaq's swept again, and people are like, oh boy, as great as Shaq is and as great as the numbers are, isn't it weird? He keeps getting swept? So how does Shaquille O'Neal respond? He responds with what I believe to be the most dominant three year stretch of any player in league hist more dominant than anything Kareem, Michael Lebron, Magic, anyone ever did. So this is this go where you know pull up a chair, boys and girls, we're gonna need a minute talk about these three years

because these are the again. This is well, I'll just the numbers will prove it to you. Two thousand for the playoffs averages thirty one points, fifteen rebounds, three assists, two blocks, one of the most dominant start to finish playoff runs ever. But it's not even his best. His best will come next year. He started the playoffs off with a forty six points, seventeen rebound, five block game the first three games of round two thirty seven and

fourteen thirty eight and twenty thirty seven and seventeen. He starts off round three with forty one points, eleven rebounds, seven assists, five blocks. And then that's that was the series against Portland. They're up three to one was game five, those Game six, they're down fifteen, and the fourth in game seven, and then the iconic Kobe to shaq dunk to get them in the finals. And then in the finals,

and each game of these finals deserves massive recognition. Okay, in the finals, Game one, forty three points, nineteen rebounds, Game two forty points, twenty four rebounds. That was the game hack of Shack was kind of invented. He shot thirty nine free throws that game. He missed twenty one of them, so he missed twenty one three throws still

out of forty and twenty four. Game three, excuse me, thirty three and thirteen, Game four, thirty six and twenty one, Game five, thirty five and eleven, Game six, forty one and twelve. That's six games to win his first ring. His worst game was thirty three and thirteen, Like I said, not his best playoff run, not his best finals. Then next year you could argue, there's the greatest team of all time, the O one Lakers. They lost one playoff

game the entire time. Kobe was ascending and Shack was well unstoppable for the playoff run thirty points, fifteen rebounds, fifty five percent shooting. Sweeps Portland in round one, starts off a sweep of Sacramento with forty four and twenty one, followed by forty three to twenty, back to back forty and twenties to say, Sacramento, nice, try next year you'll have a real chance. Not this year, they sweet. Now

he gets revenge. He sweeps the Spurs in round three, and then their one loss of the finals, the one loss of the playoffs, Game one, the famous Allen Iverson stepover game. Shaquille O'Neal in that game forty four points, twenty rebounds, five assists, forty four to twenty and five. Game two, this is the forgotten near quadruple double. We talk about Tim Duncan almost having a quadruple double quite

a bit. Game two he has twenty eight points, twenty rebounds, nine assists, eight blocks, twenty eight to twenty nine and eight to even up the series. Averaged for the series thirty three, sixteen and five on fifty seven percent forty five minutes per game. And here's the other thing. Everyone says, oh, well, that Sixers team didn't have enough talent, that Sixers team didn't have offensive talent. But you know who they did have playing center, the defensive player of the year to

Kembe Matambo. So Shaquille O'Neal in the finals to win his second ring against the defensive player of the year averages thirty three to sixteen and five on forty on fifty seven percent. The next year. Okay, now they're facing real adversity, Kobe and Check starting to fray. They've won back to back titles. You know, the only three peat is Jordan. He's the only guy to do it, did it twice with the only three peat posts you know in the modern era. Down three to two to Sacramento.

In the historic and questionably a fifitiated Game six, he hung a forty one and seventeen on them, including thirteen of seventeen at the free throw line. Game seven he hangs a thirty five and thirteen on them in a win in overtime, including eleven of fifteen from the free throw line. So when Shack says, I made him, when

I counted. During their three championship years with the Lakers, they faced they only truly faced adversity in one series, well, two series, the Portland Series the first year and then this series. But facing elimination game six and seven, he is a combined from the free throw line twenty four of thirty two that's seventy five percent okay in the finals, averages thirty six points, thirteen rebounds, four assists, three blocks.

The games were as follows, thirty six and sixteen, forty twelve and eight, thirty five and eleven, thirty four and ten. So those three years from two thousand to two thousand and two, Shaquille O'Neal in the finals fifteen Finals games twelve and three, overall record, averaging thirty six points, fifteen rebounds, four assists, three blocks on sixty percent shooting. Nobody can argue anyone's ever been more dominant in the biggest moment than Shock during those three years, and then we can

be quick the rest of the way. In two thousand and three, as the three time defending champ, throws up a twenty nine to fifteen to four and three against Kevin Garnett in round one or no averages pardon me averages twenty nine to fifteen to four and three against Kevin Garnett in round one, including when they were down two to one in that series, throws up a thirty four point, twenty three rebound, six assist game in the they end up lose, using to the Spurs are going

to win the title. He averages twenty five to fourteen and four. The next year, they're back in the finals. Everyone on that team struggled except for Shaq, who once again had to deal with the defensive player of the year this one and Ben Wallace. Howd he do twenty seven points, eleven rebounds per game on sixty three percent shooting. He had a thirty four and eleven and a thirty six and twenty. They lost both of those. Two thousand

and five, he goes to Miami. They instantly get to the conference finals, but they lose to Detroit in seven. And in two thousand and six, he really he had a couple great playoff moments with the Heat. That year, he had a thirty point, twenty rebound, five assist game to beat Chicago in round one and to get to the finals. To get that Heat team to the finals, this was his last really great playoff game, twenty eight points, sixteen rebounds, five blocks on twelve to fourteen shooting to

clinch a finals appearance. And then in the finals, he wasn't great. D Wade was And that's kind of the end of it. So how does the all time playoff resume look? Twelve career forty point playoff games that's eighth all time, fifty five career thirty point playoff games, that's eighth all time. Forty nine career thirty and ten playoff

games that's fourth all time. Twelve career forty and ten playoff games that's third all time twenty five career playoff games with a game score that's Basketball Reference is catch all metric of at least thirty the only people with more Lebron and Mike Lebron and Michael. He's fifth all time in playoff points. He's fourth all time in playoff rebounds. He's fourth all time in playoff box. He's fifth all time in finals points per game at twenty eight point three.

His career playoff average over two hundred and sixteen games, which is two and a half full seasons of playoff basketball, is twenty four points, twelve rebounds, three assists, two blocks. That's Shaquille O'Neil. That's how you become one of the nine greatest players ever. We have a Shaquille O'Neal caller. Let's get to him. Question about Shack one for twenty two in his career from behind the arc. If Shaq played now, do you think he would bomb threes? He

would not bomb threes. And Wilds, who is my beloved colleague and coworker, found a way to almost put a damper on what was just a brilliant fifteen minutes of Shaquille O'Neal love with us. He would need to bomb threes, just like Kevin Durantz asking him how he would guard the pick and roll, and Shaq correctly said, here's the thing, you would not be able to guard me. There is no era in which Shaq would not be utterly dominant. He did it against anyone and everyone. The defensive player

of the year doesn't matter. At his peak. No one could hold him under thirty five and fifteen a game ninth best player last fifty years. Shaquille O'Neill, the eighth best player of the last fifty years is a guy who beat Shaquille O'Neil in one of those finals. You know who he is. We discussed him next.

Bobby Canavalli. Watch Unstoppable now exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

hear that. But don't do that. Listen to player number eight, which is we just did Shack at number nine, And while you're going through Shack at nine, your tendency is Jesus, should he be higher? Like I gave all those argument should he be higher? And a lot of people have him ahead of the person I have at number eight. I do not, and I will explain why. Number eight on the fifty Grays Players the Last fifty years, Number eight a Keem Elijah On. So let's go through the

resume here quickly. Six time first team All NBA, three times second Team All NBA, three time third Team All NBA. At a time when All NBA first Team center was a hell of a hard thing to get. You had David Robinson, you had Patrick Ewing, you had at the beginning of his career, you had late stage Kareem at the end of his career, you had early stage Shack. So those first team All NBA center spots were almost impossible. He won the MVP once. He was Top five in

the MVP six times. He was Top seven ten times. He's a two time Defensive Player of the Year. More on that, he's nine time All defense. He has he is, in my opinion, and I think it's inarguable the best defensive player on this list. The only person who you could argue is a better defender all time is Bill Russell. And that's it's so different of a game back then. But in the last fifty years he's the greatest defensive player, and I think because of that he's become an underrated

offensive player. We'll explain why. But he's twelfth all time in points. He's ninth all time in steals. No other center is in the top sixty. So all time steals, he's ninth. No other center is in the top sixty.

We will find out together in real time. I did Kim Bagmtumbo. Yeah to Kim bag Mtumbo, who, by the way, defensive player of the year who Shack annihilated in the one finals. We're talking about M Tumble's at thirty two hundred. A team's at thirty eight hundred. So now let's get into a team's playoff resume. Because everyone remembers the two rings.

I don't think they quite remember who he went through for those two rings, but they certainly don't remember the fact that I think most people don't know a Keem went to the finals before nineteen ninety four. So we'll get into it. Nineteen eighty five. He is a rookie. They are in game five of round one against Utah. Keep in minds when round one's best of five, so it's you know, do or die game as a rookie. In his first elimination game, thirty two points, fourteen rebounds,

six blocks, but they lose. He's a rookie. At that point in time, nobody was questioning the team over Michael Jordan drafting nobody. Keeame was the no doubt guy. Nineteen eighty six year two, second year. Obviously in the second year he's in the finals. He started the playoffs off with twenty nine points, fifteen rebounds, four blocks. He started round two off with thirty eight points, sixteen rebounds, four assists,

six steals, five blocks. Almost had a five by five game in the playoff in his second year to go along with thirty eight points one assist, shy of one of the only five by five games. That's where that's so much more important than a triple double. That's where you have at least five of every category, and he would have done it with thirty eight points averaged for that round two series averaged twenty nine points, thirteen rebounds,

three assists, two steals, four blocks. Can you imagine a dude averaging four blocks for a series today, okay, to go up two to one on the defending champion Lakers, who had Kareem and Magic and worthy to go up two to one on them. He put up forty to twelve averaged for the series thirty one eleven with four blocks, and outplayed Kareem Abdul Jabbar. He's in his second year. In his first finals game ever against the eighty six Celtics, the team that I don't argue, but some people argue

is the single greatest team ever. He had thirty three points,

twelve rebound facing elimination down three to one. In Game five against what somebody would argue is the greatest team ever thirty two points, fourteen rebounds and eight blocks to keep his season alive average twenty four to twelve and with three blocks for the series again against So he beats the defending champion Lakers in Kareem and Magic and then loses in six to the eighty six Celtics nineteen eighty seven in round one almost well, I'll just tell

you what he averages for round one. This is and some of this acheme stuff. It's just so consistently just outstanding across the board that I just have to give you series averages instead of individual games because he didn't have a ton of the shack explosion forty five point games. It was just for a series. Like in round one, he averages twenty nine twenty seven points, nine rebounds, four assists, three steals, five blocks. Dude average three steals and five

blocks eight stocks per game. In a playoff series Round two against Seattle, in a game they lose in double overtime, he had forty nine points, twenty five rebounds, and six blocks and they lost. Nineteen eighty eight. Round one lost it. This is this is one of the most impossible. This is you could win some money in a bar if you found the right way to phrase this is a trivia question. In round one in nineteen eighty eight, the

Rockets lost to the Mavericks three games to one. Despite the fact that A kim olajuwon for the series in the four games and they only won one averaged thirty eight points and seventeen rebounds. He had a forty to fifteen and a loss with the in game four to get eliminated. The only game they won, he had forty one points twenty five rebounds. So nineteen eighty eight to nineteen ninety two. He never got out of round one.

In those playoff years, he averaged twenty six points, fourteen rebounds to assist, two steels, four blocks, never got out of round one. We talk about a guy that this was a team once Sampson was done, essentially a Keem Rockets was Lebron Cavs the first time around, got to the finals super early, was unbelievable, always produced, and the team stunk. They couldn't put the right pieces around it.

And now Lebron wasn't losing in round one, which is why Lebron's higher on this list, But twenty six, fourteen, two, two and four over a four year average in the playoffs without ever winning a series. So now we get to the meat of a team, which is these next three years. Nineteen ninety three finally gets out of the first round. How does he get out of the first round. He has a thirty one point, twenty one rebounds, seven

block game for that series. To finally win his first series in five years, he averages twenty nine points, fifteen rebounds, five assists, two steals, and six blocks per game. They lose to Seattle in overtime, in game seven by three points. When a Keeam puts up in that game seven twenty three points, seventeen rebounds, nine assists, So if he was not out of this world, they couldn't win. Luckily for them. Over the next two years, he is in fact out

of this world. And listen to the numbers, and then at the end listen to who he beats as he goes on to win his two rings and two finals MVPs nineteen ninety four, he wins the league MVP. He wins Defensive Player of the Year. Michael Jordan has retired, so the whole league knows. So for Berkley, for Youing, for David Robinson, who hadn't won it that point, for Stockton, for Malone, for Kemp, for Peyton, for a team, for all these guys, Hey, this should be our chance. So

what does it team do? Round one against Portland. I can't even give you the individual games. I'll give you one of them, but averages for round one thirty four points, eleven rebounds, five assists, two steals, four blocks. He had a game in that series, another this close to five by five game, this one with forty six points. He had a forty six eight, four, four, and six against the defending Western Conference champions Phoenix Suns and Charles Barkley.

He averages for the series twenty nine points, fourteen rebounds, five assists, four blocks, including in Game seven against Charles Barkley and the defending Western Conference champion Sons, Game seven thirty seven points, seventeen rebounds, five assists. Utah just knew they were drawing dead. Utah. He throws up a forty one thirteen and six in Game two and demoralizes them, and then in the finals he holds Patrick Ewing, an

all time great center, to nineteen points per game. His team is up to with two seconds left in Game six, John Starks, who is the nick's second best player and great three point shooter for the ERA, has seemingly an open three to win the title, and a team Go Go gadgets it and blocks it and they end up winning the title in Game seven. He averages for the finals twenty seven points, nine rebounds, four assists, four blocks, First Ring, First Finals MVP. Then next year this team

is the sixth seed. They are not that good of a team. They trade for Clyde Drexler midway through the year. They're kind of scuttling next year to start his Finals defense, puts up forty five points, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals, three blocks, but they're down two to one again. This is a best of five, so their face elimination. In game four, he puts up forty. Game five Dewardi game puts up a thirty three and ten to advance. He's now two, so he's won two Doward die games in

that in his Finals. Defense then averages in that series against Utah against stocktona alone thirty five, nine and four. The next round, they're down three one to Berkley and Phoenix. They're down three to one, despite the fact that in games three and four the team scored thirty six and thirty eight. They win three straight games, three more elimination games, win game five, six and seven. The team averages thirty, twelve and six in those three games. They're now five

to zero elimination games. Then, and this is unbelievable. This you got to look up on YouTube. That year David Robinson won MVP, and they gave David Robinson the MVP and on the court like they used to do before the series against a King before one of the games and a keem who's an all time nice guy, just tortured him. Tortured him for the entire series, scored forty three times, averages thirty five, thirteen rebounds, five assists, four

blocks against the MVP of the league, David Robinson. Go ahead, how many times you how many times you say you won Defensive Player of the year A team twice? He won two Defensive Players of the Year, could have won more, could have won a hell of a lot, No, but they spread it around a bit. In the finals, playing a young guy you may have heard of him, Shaquille O'Neal and the Orlando Magic. He scores at least thirty

one points in every single game. Averages for the finals thirty three points, twelve rebounds, six assists, two steals, two blocks to sweep out Shack and win finals MVP. Okay, So here is the totality of it again? Remember what I said about how you Wing and Shack and David Robinson and Patrick Ewing and John Stockton and Carl Malone and Charles Barkley, all these guys. When Jordan's gone, They're like, here's our chance. Akim Olajuan beat every single one of

those guys. To win those two rings. In those two championship runs, he averaged thirty four points, eleven rebounds, four assists, two steals, three blocks on fifty three percent shooting and beat oh Clyde Drexler two, beat Clyde Drexler and then Drexler joined him, beat Barkley twice, beat Stockton malone twice, beat Patrick Ewing, beat David Robinson, beat Shaquille O'Neal, King of the Mountain, Beat them all, no easy routes, no easy paths, beat everybody who is Most of those guys

except for Drexler who joined him and Robinson who got one later with Tim Duncan and obviously Shaq. Most of those guys finished their career is ringless because a team won both of those in ninety six. The keep in mind a team. We started this story in nineteen eighty five, so now it's been a decade. And over that decade, from year two to his second ring, he was twenty nine, twelve, three,

two and four on fifty three percent. A ten year run in the playoffs, winning finals MVP twice, winning two championships, getting the three finals from year two to his second title, averages in the playoffs. Twenty nine points, twelve rebounds, three assists, two steals, four blocks, And that's the story of a Keeam Elajauan. He's the greatest defensive player I've ever seen, and one could argue the greatest defensive player anyone's ever seen.

He's the eighth greatest player of the last fifty years. Let's get to a quick a team.

defensive monstrous performances. Plus, like I said, the guy is considered the greatest defender ever yet over a decade of his prime in the playoffs averaged a touch under thirty points per game. What is he twelfth all time in points in the regular season. So it's not the guy couldn't score. He's the Aphiaers player for the last fifty years. We'll be right back with a very special end of

the show. And by the way, I'm going to complain for a moment on some of the response to this before we get to number eight, because so much of the because we put out the a graphic of the list, and I've got folks who otherwise should know better saying, you know, when there's a list like this and they include guys that you know, guys like Tiny Archibald or Elvin Hayes or Bernard King when they didn't see him,

they're doing it based purely on the numbers. Okay, So think here, first of all, if you could see the exhaustive research that has gone into this, and if you watch the videos, I think you get a little taste of it, you would know it's not purely by the numbers. Obviously,

it's very numerically centric. That's first of all. Second of all, there's a thing YouTube exists, and the NBA archive exists, and the ability to watch and the almost any major playoff moment of the last fifty years is at our fingertips. One of the reasons I cut it off of the last fifty years is because you don't really have access to watch the Celtics of the sixties, much less Bob Pettett and George Mikeen in the fifties. There is no

way to watch that. But lastly, and I've never cursed in one of these fifty Greatest Player videos, but I think I'm gonna do it right here. By that logic, how the does anyone write about the Civil War or about Napoleon, or about anything that you are alive for? How can anyone learn about anything they didn't see? Like, well, what was the Civil War about?

but it is in fact. You know what, I'm gonna do something before we get to the akeem thing. Uh and you know, actually, this is what we're gonna do here. This is I am doing this right now, right before we get to the eighth grades player who's a kiem Olaje one. However, this is going to just be clipped and be put on as the final segment of the show. Okay, so it's a little extra work for the producers, but they'll be able to do it. Demanse, do me a favor.

Walk over there and grab those three blue books that all look like they're the exact same thing. Do you see them at the top, because I have a bookshelf behind me here that I want to show you guys something. And then also, Demanse, hand me those and then grab the brown textbook in the corner. But you can hand me, yeah that, yes, hand me both of those. Okay, So here's why I mention what I mentioned. Give me these three books. Okay, you can set that down. This is

a Military History of the Western World Volume one. This is a Military History of the Western World Volume two. And this is a Military History of the Western World Volume three. So this is from the earliest times to the Battle of Leponto. This is from the defeat of the Spanish Armada to the Battle of Waterloo. And this is from the American Civil War to the end of

World War Two. Well, I guess everything in these two books might as well be thrown in the goddamn garbage, because no, I mean, we're talking about thousands of years ago. Who could have read it? Who could have who could teach you anything about it? So let's just pick a page for a moment. I'm gonna read you a little bit something from it. No, you're sticking with me. The Rise and Expansion of Islam. This is about the Roman emperors from five sixty five a d s. I'm fifteen

hundred years ago. So how do you think JFC Fuller figured this stuff out? He did the research same way. No I get angry about this stuff. How about this The World's History by Howard Spudek. This is a book I bought. You guys are gonna laugh at me. This is really revealing quite a bit about me. But because I'm super interested in history, I paid one hundred and forty five dollars for this book off of college's website, bought from their bookstore, and just like was doing when

I was living in LA by myself. When you and the kids, you are one of the kids. But when you and your mom were in Houston your senior year and I was in LA by myself, I just started reading like the end, that's freaking that's an actual No, it's a text flash. Yeah, Judaism and Christianity. Yeah, it's a textbook because I'm interested in learning about stuff I wasn't around to see, and that applies to world history

and this NBA list. Okay, all right, all right, thanks for checking out another special episode of What's Right with Nick Wright as the special editions of the fifty greatest players the last fifty years. The countdown continues next week we get to players seven and six, and player six by definition, is not ahead of player five, which will cause maybe the biggest fight of anything thus far on this list. You'll understand when it comes out next week. Appreciate you watching and listening.