7 NBA Players Who Were Unstoppable in the Post

by Jeremy Block - 1/31/2025

NBA Players who were unstoppable in the post Dirk Nowitzki Dallas Mavericks

The post game in basketball used to be The way to dominate, long before the three-point barrages took over. These players didn’t just use the low block -- they owned it. It’s where the real big men lived, where strength met finesse, and where you could impose your will on the game. Whether it was with a spin move, a hook shot, or an unguardable fadeaway, these legends could make you wish you had stayed home on game night.

Let’s break down the masters of the paint, the ones who made the post as much of a weapon as a 30-foot three-pointer -- except these guys didn’t need a three-point line to be unstoppable.

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1. Shaquille O’Neal

Who better than ‘Big Diesel’ at the top slot? Shaquille O’neal’s post game was as overwhelming as his presence on the court. Standing 7’1” and weighing over 300 pounds, he broke the post. With hands as big as a dinner plate and a body that could clear out entire defenses, Shaq was nearly impossible to stop when he got to the low block. In his prime, the man averaged 29.7 points and 13 rebounds in the 2000 season.

Defenders had to choose between letting Shaq back them down or getting dunked on. And if that wasn’t bad enough, they had to worry about being barreled through with his signature power moves. O’Neal finished his career with 28,596 points and four MVPs. And when his post moves were unguardable, opponents had no choice but to brace for the inevitable.

2. Hakeem Olajuwon

Before Shaq’s dominance, The NBA world had Hakeem Olajuwon. Olajuwon’s footwork in the post was so polished that it could’ve earned him a spot in a ballet class -- graceful, yet with all the ferocity needed to score. The Dream Shake? It was practically impossible to defend, leaving defenders spinning in circles while Olajuwon glided to an easy bucket.

In his career, Olajuwon scored more than 26,000 points and snagged nearly 14,000 rebounds - numbers made even more impressive by the fact that his offensive game in the post wasn’t just based on brute force. Olajuwon played with finesse, creativity, and a wide range of moves to shake defenders. If Shaq was the wrecking ball, Olajuwon was the surgeon -- precise and calculated, always finding the soft spots in an opponent's defense.

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

When you think of a post player who could score with ease, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the first name that comes to mind. Or at least, it should. Standing at 7'2", Abdul-Jabbar had one of the most unstoppable moves in basketball history: the skyhook. The skyhook was so lethal that it became his trademark move and made his entire post game nearly impossible to stop. During the 1971-72 season, he averaged 34.8 points and 16.6 rebounds, showcasing just how dominant he was when operating in the low block.

Abdul-Jabbar’s post game wasn’t built on athleticism alone; it was a study in finesse. He used his height and soft touch to finish around defenders in ways that few could even attempt. With 38,387 career points, the second most in NBA history, and six MVP awards, Kareem proved that the post game could be just as effective as any flashy perimeter shot. Defenders had little choice but to hope he missed when he had the ball down low, because stopping that skyhook? It was impossible.

4. Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan wasn’t flashy, and frankly, he didn’t need to be. Duncan’s post game was all about efficiency, and there’s something to be said for getting the job done without all the noise. Duncan’s post moves were textbook, and that's what made them so difficult to defend. Whether it was his bank shot, or his left-handed hook shots, Duncan did everything with such precision that it looked impossible to stop. Averaging 19 points and 10.8 rebounds for his career, Duncan made sure that defenders had no room for error down low.

The Big Fundamental didn’t need a highlight reel to prove he was unstoppable in the post; his effectiveness was a testament to his greatness. Forget about fancy footwork -- Duncan made post dominance look like a science.

5. Michael Jordan

Now, don’t be fooled: Micheal Jordan was a guard, not a pure post player. But if you ever watched him play, you’d swear he was a post specialist with how easy he could work defenders in the low block. Jordan had a post game so elite that in his prime, he averaged 37.1 points per game while working the low block with the best of them.

The ‘GOAT’ was known for his fadeaway jumper. However, when he got down on the block, he was dangerous with a variety of spins, fakes, and quick turns. He finished his career with over 32,000 points. And whether it was against smaller guards or bigger forwards, Jordan made sure defenders paid the price. It wasn’t just about size or strength for Michael Jordan -- his post game was an art form, and he was a Picasso with the basketball.

6. Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki was far from a traditional post player; he was more of a perimeter-oriented big man. But when it came to the low block, he was a nightmare. Nowitzki’s signature one-legged fadeaway became a staple in NBA lore. And when he backed defenders down in the post, they knew they had little chance of stopping him. In 2006, Nowitzki led the Mavericks, averaging 24.6 points and 8.9 rebounds. What made him so deadly in the post wasn’t just the fadeaway, but his ability to stretch the floor and make even the most physical defenders backpedal.

Whether it was in the clutch moments of the 2011 NBA Finals or in the regular season, Nowitzki’s post game was as unstoppable as it was unique. He changed the way we think about the modern post player, combining finesse and range in ways that hadn’t been seen before.

7. Karl Malone

When it came to delivering in the post, Karl Malone was a walking freight train. The Mailman, with his rugged style of play, perfected the art of bullying his way to the basket. Standing 6'9" and built like a linebacker, Malone had the power to push defenders around and the finesse to finish once he was deep in the paint. During the 1996-97 season, he averaged 27.4 points and 9.9 rebounds, showcasing his ability to dominate the low block night in and night out.

What made Malone so deadly was his turnaround jumper. If you couldn’t stop him from getting the ball on the block, you were already in trouble. And if you couldn’t get a body on him, he’d muscle his way to a clean look. With more than 36,000 career points and 14 All-Star appearances, Karl Malone’s post moves weren’t just effective -- they were iconic. The Mailman didn’t miss deliveries, and you could count on him to show up in the post with an unstoppable move or a powerful dunk.

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Start:	January 31, 2025 @ 11:59 PM
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7 NBA Players Who Were Unstoppable in the Post

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