1996-97 record: 56-26 (second in Pacific)

Season Averages

	Points per game (rank)	FG% (rank)	Rebounds per game (rank)	Turnovers per game (rank)
LAKERS	100.0 (8)	.454 (15)	42.8 (5)	14.9 (6)
OPPONENTS	95.7 (12)	.441 (10)	42.4 (20)	16.4 (5)

 

Shaquille O'Neal has not won a championship in his first five NBA seasons—but neither did Michael Jordan. In fact, O'Neal's teams have enjoyed greater success in games in which he played, in the regular season and in the playoffs, than the Bulls did with Jordan during His Airness's first five years.

Michael Jordan's First Five NBA Seasons

	Regular season	Playoffs
	W-L (Pct.)	W-L (Pct.)	Series won
1984-85	38-44 (.463)	1-3 (.250)	0
1985-86	9-9 (.500)	0-3 (.000)	0
1986-87	40-42 (.488)	0-3 (.000)	0
1987-88	50-32 (.610)	4-6 (.400)	1
1988-89	47-34 (.580)	9-8 (.529)	2
Totals	184-161 (.533)	14-23 (.378)	3
Shaquille O'Neal's First Five NBA Seasons
	Regular season	Playoffs
	W-L (Pct.)	W-L (Pct.)	Series won
1992-93	41-40 (.506)	none	0
1993-94	49-32 (.605)	0-3 (.000)	0
1994-95	55-24 (.696)	11-10 (.524)	3
1995-96	40-14 (.741)	7-5 (.583)	2
1996-97	38-13 (.745)	4-5 (.444)	1
Totals	223-123 (.645)	22-23 (.489)	6