A lot of arguments can be made about who is the better player between Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal. Yes, only one of them has won at least one championship. But they’re completely different types of athletes and have different places in basketball history. But what if they were on even ground? To be precise, physically. Because 7’1″ MDE Big Aristotle has a definitive advantage there. Sir Charles would like to think he’d snatch up Shaq’s title if they were at eye level.

A caller on The Steam Room gave Charles Barkley the opportunity to brag a tad with a fun question. “If you and Shaq shrunk to 6 feet tall, who is the better player?” Chuck didn’t have to think for longer than a millisecond.

“Oh no question, I’m a better player,” the Chuckster proudly boasted. Insert the side-eye monkey GIF. But The Round Mound of Rebound has no problem doubling down in Shaq’s absence. “I’m a better basketball player than Shaq, number one.” 

While anyone can argue against that, 6’6″ Charles Barkley is strictly speaking in reference to the question – a hypothetical scenario where both he and Shaq are 6 feet high. “Shaq is one of the most physically imposing, dominating players of all time. But for strictly a basketball IQ, we’re not even on the same level.”

He also argues that he’s never played against an imposing center like Wilt Chamberlain, but he’s never had a more “physically imposing” rival than Big Diesel. “Shaq’s the biggest human being in the world… so if you were both 6 feet tall I’d kill him, I’d kill him,” Barkley again mentioned.

Note: Barkley also believes he can drop a guy with half a foot and roughly 35lbs over him like “a sack of potatoes” in a Slap Bet. But that’s a joke. When it comes to their overlapping careers, they’ve played against each other in 15 regular season games and 4 playoff matchups. O’Neal has a 11-8 head-to-head record over Chuck. Not only does he have more championships, All-Star appearances, and MVP titles over Barkley, Shaq even has a 25.8 PPG to Barkley’s 22.7.

Chuck loves to claim he has a higher basketball IQ than Shaq on Inside the NBA when they make very opposing analyses. For instance, they have vastly differing opinions on the Lakers right now. And most often, Shaq will close the argument with a question that touches on a sore point for Barkley.

IQ over rings for Charles Barkley

Shaquille O’Neal has won four NBA championships, that’s four more than Charles Barkley. And he’ll never let his buddy forget that. Ever since he joined Inside the NBA in 2011, his four rings have been Shaq’s go-to debate point.

In the 2024-25 season-opener, Shaq and a Lakers fan, Matt, claimed, “Ringless Barkley is such a Lakers hater.” Other than the jab landing flat on Chuck, he even threw at the giant across the table, “I don’t have to have no ring.” What ground Shaq’s nerves was when Kenny Smith defended Chuck. O’Neal threatened The Jet to never “disrespect the rings again.” 

Ernie and Chuck once again joked that ‘Mr Sensitive’ Shaq would take his comments very personally but Barkley reiterates, “He can take that how he wants to… but it’s just as a pure basketball player, I’m a much better basketball player.”  Would you agree with Chuck?