Funny you mention preferential treatment and era. No one has ever benefitted more from preferential treatment than Shaq. By rule you could have fouled him out with offensive fouls in just the first half of every game he played. He also basically never had to worry about being pick-pocketed by a little guard because of bogus illegal defense rules. Today's game is too cerebral for him and he couldn't play in it without preferential treatment on his side.