Shaquille O'Neal vs. Isaiah Thomas: NBA Rankings Comparison
The ultimate statistical showdown: compare Shaquille O'Neal and Isaiah Thomas all-time NBA rankings. Explore their historical standing across total and per-game stats, regular season and playoffs. Who ranks higher?
This in-depth analysis goes beyond basic career numbers to provide an unparalleled look at where Shaquille O'Neal, with a career spanning 19 seasons from 1993 to 2011, and Isaiah Thomas, with 12 seasons played from 2012 to 2024, stand among the league's historical elite.
Dive into a meticulous breakdown of their positions in every major statistical category—from scoring, rebounding and assists to steals, blocks, triple-doubles, and rankings by points thresholds—across both regular season and their entire playoff careers. Our comprehensive tables offer side-by-side rankings, value comparisons, and key differences, ensuring you have all the definitive data to assess their historical impact.
First, review a concise summary of how they rank in NBA history in the main categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks) for both total and per-game stats, and below, you can then explore in detail all their stats and their historical rankings.
Shaquille O'Neal vs. Isaiah Thomas | ||||
Career Totals |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| Shaquille O'Neal | Isaiah Thomas | Shaquille O'Neal | Isaiah Thomas | |
| Points | 9th | +300th | 5th | +300th |
| Rebounds | 15th | +300th | 5th | +300th |
| Assists | 237th | +300th | 53rd | +300th |
| Steals | +300th | +300th | 92nd | +300th |
| Blocks | 8th | +300th | 4th | +300th |
| Years | 19 | 12 | 17 | 4 |
Shaquille O'Neal vs. Isaiah Thomas | ||||
Career Per Game |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| Shaquille O'Neal | Isaiah Thomas | Shaquille O'Neal | Isaiah Thomas | |
| Points | 30th | 160th | 36th | 64th |
| Rebounds | 32nd | +300th | 23rd | +300th |
| Assists | +300th | 156th | +300th | 58th |
| Steals | +300th | +300th | +300th | +300th |
| Blocks | 15th | +300th | 15th | +300th |
Comparisons on this page: |
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Their rankings for: |
Note: per game rankings include players with a minimum of games played
Career Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Shaquille O'Neal | Isaiah Thomas | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 9th | +300th | +291 | 28,596 vs. 9,723 | 18,873 |
| Rebounds | 15th | +300th | +285 | 13,099 vs. 1,321 | 11,778 |
| Assists | 237th | +300th | +63 | 3,026 vs. 2,641 | 385 |
| Steals | +300th | +300th | 739 vs. 472 | 267 | |
| Blocks | 8th | +300th | +292 | 2,732 vs. 61 | 2,671 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 6th | +300th | +294 | 4,209 vs. 284 | 3,925 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 11th | +300th | +289 | 8,890 vs. 1,037 | 7,853 |
| Field Goals Made | 7th | +300th | +293 | 11,330 vs. 3,170 | 8,160 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 24th | +300th | +276 | 19,457 vs. 7,301 | 12,156 |
| 3-Pointers Made | +300th | 157th | +143 | 1 vs. 1,044 | 1,043 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | +300th | 155th | +145 | 22 vs. 2,880 | 2,858 |
| Free Throws Made | 25th | +300th | +275 | 5,935 vs. 2,339 | 3,596 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 4th | +300th | +296 | 11,252 vs. 2,682 | 8,570 |
Games and Years: | Shaquille O'Neal | Isaiah Thomas | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | 48th | +300th | 1,207 vs. 556 | 651 | |
| Seasons | 13th | +300th | 19 vs. 12 | 7 | |
Triple-Doubles: | Shaquille O'Neal | Isaiah Thomas | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | 204th | 276th | 72 | 2 vs. 1 | 1 |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Shaquille O'Neal | Isaiah Thomas | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 22nd | 154th | 132 | 49 vs. 5 | 44 |
| 50+ point games | 42nd | 76th | 34 | 3 vs. 1 | 2 |
| 60+ point games | 11th | - | 1 vs. 0 | 1 | |
| 70+ point games | - | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Career Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Shaquille O'Neal | Isaiah Thomas | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 5th | +300th | +295 | 5,250 vs. 564 | 4,686 |
| Rebounds | 5th | +300th | +295 | 2,508 vs. 77 | 2,431 |
| Assists | 53rd | +300th | +247 | 582 vs. 158 | 424 |
| Steals | 92nd | +300th | +208 | 117 vs. 20 | 97 |
| Blocks | 4th | +300th | +296 | 459 vs. 7 | 452 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 1st | +300th | +299 | 866 vs. 8 | 858 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 3rd | +300th | +297 | 1,642 vs. 69 | 1,573 |
| Field Goals Made | 4th | +300th | +296 | 2,041 vs. 176 | 1,865 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 7th | +300th | +293 | 3,627 vs. 436 | 3,191 |
| 3-Pointers Made | +300th | 269th | +31 | 0 vs. 52 | 52 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | +300th | 230th | +70 | 0 vs. 173 | 173 |
| Free Throws Made | 8th | +300th | +292 | 1,168 vs. 160 | 1,008 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 2nd | +300th | +298 | 2,317 vs. 190 | 2,127 |
Games and Years: | Shaquille O'Neal | Isaiah Thomas | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | 9th | +300th | 216 vs. 26 | 190 | |
| Playoffs | 6th | +300th | 17 vs. 4 | 13 | |
Triple-Doubles: | Shaquille O'Neal | Isaiah Thomas | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | +300th | +300th | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Shaquille O'Neal | Isaiah Thomas | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 8th | 55th | 47 | 12 vs. 2 | 10 |
| 50+ point games | - | 9th | 0 vs. 1 | 1 | |
| 60+ point games | - | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Shaquille O'Neal | Isaiah Thomas | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 30th | 160th | 130 | 23.69 vs. 17.49 | 6.20 |
| Rebounds per game | 32nd | +300th | +268 | 10.85 vs. 2.38 | 8.48 |
| Assists per game | +300th | 156th | +144 | 2.51 vs. 4.75 | 2.24 |
| Steals per game | +300th | +300th | 0.61 vs. 0.85 | 0.24 | |
| Blocks per game | 15th | +300th | +285 | 2.26 vs. 0.11 | 2.15 |
| Offensive Rebounds per game | 10th | +300th | +290 | 3.49 vs. 0.51 | 2.98 |
| Defensive Rebounds per game | 31st | +300th | +269 | 7.37 vs. 1.87 | 5.50 |
| Field Goals Made per game | 11th | 281st | 270 | 9.39 vs. 5.70 | 3.69 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 74th | 231st | 157 | 16.12 vs. 13.13 | 2.99 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | +300th | 81st | +219 | 0.00 vs. 1.88 | 1.88 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | +300th | 49th | +251 | 0.02 vs. 5.18 | 5.16 |
| Free Throws Made per game | 58th | 110th | 52 | 4.92 vs. 4.21 | 0.71 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 5th | 154th | 149 | 9.32 vs. 4.82 | 4.50 |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Shaquille O'Neal | Isaiah Thomas | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 36th | 64th | 28 | 24.31 vs. 21.69 | 2.61 |
| Rebounds per game | 23rd | +300th | +277 | 11.61 vs. 2.96 | 8.65 |
| Assists per game | +300th | 58th | +242 | 2.69 vs. 6.08 | 3.38 |
| Steals per game | +300th | +300th | 0.54 vs. 0.77 | 0.23 | |
| Blocks per game | 15th | +300th | +285 | 2.13 vs. 0.27 | 1.86 |
| Offensive Rebounds per game | 6th | +300th | +294 | 4.01 vs. 0.31 | 3.70 |
| Defensive Rebounds per game | 27th | +300th | +273 | 7.60 vs. 2.65 | 4.95 |
| Field Goals Made per game | 22nd | 145th | 123 | 9.45 vs. 6.77 | 2.68 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 83rd | 84th | 1 | 16.79 vs. 16.77 | 0.02 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | +300th | 57th | +243 | 0.00 vs. 2.00 | 2.00 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | +300th | 20th | +280 | 0.00 vs. 6.65 | 6.65 |
| Free Throws Made per game | 60th | 29th | 31 | 5.41 vs. 6.15 | 0.75 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 2nd | 43rd | 41 | 10.73 vs. 7.31 | 3.42 |
Note: the per game rankings on this page respect the minimums usually applied by the NBA for all-time leaders, this is 400 games for regular season stats unless the player reached these thresholds before: 10,000 points; 4,000 rebounds; 2,000 assists; 625 steals; 500 blocks; 250 3-pointers made. Also a minimum of 3 games is applied here for the Playoffs.