Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming are a vanishing breed in the NBA, big, physically dominating centers who stay close to the basket and control the game from there.
But they aren't dinosaurs just yet. If there were more players such as O'Neal and Yao, more teams would be center-oriented.

Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal (32) walks past Houston Rockets center Yao Ming from China before their NBA pre-season basketball game in Miami, Florida October 25, 2006. Houston defeated Miami 96-71. [Reuters]

Yao has been compared to O'Neal since Yao came into the league four seasons ago, a comparison Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy says is unfair.

"Anyone is going to pale compared to Shaq," Van Gundy said. "He's won four championships and he's probably the most physically imposing center there has ever been. He has the most unusual gifts of strength and agility in combination. Yao doesn't have natural upper-body strength. He has good lower-body strength. He doesn't have the balance like O'Neal. He doesn't have the agility of O'Neal."

Though they are the two most dominant centers in the NBA, they have contrasting styles. O'Neal, at 7-1, 325 pounds, is sheer power. He uses his size to get position close to the basket, and he often simply overpowers defenders.

"Shaq just wears you down," said former NBA player and coach Doug Collins, an NBA analyst for TNT. "His presence is so imposing. He is also a great passer. His teammates know they will get the ball back if they are open, so they pass and cut and have great ball movement."

Yao, at 7-6, 296, plays more of a finesse game. He has more offensive moves than O'Neal and is a far superior free-throw shooter. He shot 85.3% from the line last season on 6.9 attempts a game; O'Neal shot 46.9% on eight attempts a game.

They are 4-4 in head-to-head regular-season matchups, with Yao averaging 17 points and 9.1 rebounds and O'Neal 25 points and 9.1 rebounds.

"I don't think there is much they have in common," Van Gundy added. "Yao is less naturally gifted, but there has never been a more diligent worker. If you wanted to have a poster person for what consistent everyday work does, it's him.

"The advantage of being 7-6 is great, but the disadvantage of being 7-6 in some areas is a terrible burden, the pounding on your body, being so much taller that your center of gravity is up and trying to play pick-and-roll defense against these smaller guards. O'Neal, in contrast, has tremendous balance. You never see him falling unless he is fouled."

The Rockets have tried to get Yao to understand just how good and dominant he can be.

"His greatest strength is that he is an unreal teammate," Van Gundy said. "He has incredible loyalty, and he takes great pride in others' successes. He is a reluctant star, though. He has to have the mindset that whenever he gets single-covered he is going to score every single time. He has to understand that in halfcourt, he is our No. 1 option - him deep in the paint is the best shot in basketball."

Still, Van Gundy says that O'Neal distorts the game more than any other player.

"People talk about his decline in numbers, but they are missing out on some of the more intricate things that happen due to his being on the court," Van Gundy said. "What happens when you play Miami is your center stays attached to O'Neal because, if he comes off him to help, it is an automatic rebound and dunk if the shot misses.

"With the other 29 teams, your center comes to block, but against Miami your center is out of play."

Yao and O'Neal are scheduled to meet four times this season, with the first game December 12 at Houston.