Of course, Nate Thurmond is the best option.
He was, as I remember, mentioned by Wilt and Kareem as their most formidable defender.
Is it possible that Wilt Chamberlain protected Shaquille O’Neal?
Yes, and he would have done it with great effectiveness.
Shaq’s strategy was all around power. He was not elegant in the slightest. He was huge and, before to gaining weight later in his career, incredibly athletic for a man his stature. He would get the ball on the block and come straight at you, and very few players would (or could) confront him.
However, Wilt was even bigger, more athletic, and had superior all-around basketball abilities. By all accounts, he was extremely strong—possibly even more so than Shaq—despite not having Shaq’s level of muscle. In addition to his unmatched offensive ability, he was a superb defensive player.
Wilt couldn’t have stopped Shaq entirely because nobody could. He undoubtedly would have slowed him down. Playing against Wilt would not have been enjoyable for Shaq. He would have needed to exert considerably more effort offensively, and good luck stopping Wilt on the other end.
Shaq was an incredible player. Wilt was superior.
