In his podcast this week, Shaquille O’Neal made a bold claim. He called Stephen Curry “by far” the best player in the world and predicted that the Warriors will win the Western Conference once again. Curry, considered the best shooter ever, was named Finals MVP in June as the Warriors beat the Celtics. However, other stars may play better defense. LeBron James is the only active non-Warrior who can match Curry’s four titles, and Curry looked at the peak of his powers this postseason. “The real ones are recognized by the championships that you have,” O’Neal said on “The Big Podcast” alongside co-hosts Nischelle Turner, Spice Adams, and guest Kenny Smith.
Shaquille O’Neal has expressed his belief that Steph Curry is one of the top ten players of all time, just like him. According to O’Neal, nobody plays better than Curry as he is an incredible shot taker and maker. O’Neal also loves “Rocky”-type stories and admires how Curry has brought his career to great heights despite not being highly recruited. While Curry is widely regarded as one of the league’s best shooters and premier scorers, other defensive-minded players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James are often given more credit by NBA viewers.
Kevin Durant and Nikola Jokic, who have both won the regular season MVP award for two seasons, recently had something to share with Shaq. However, it’s hard to deny Curry’s impressive resume. This isn’t the first time Shaq has been criticized by an All-Star player.
Looking back at the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors were down 3-1 until a Game 4 comeback turned the series around. Prior to Game 5 of the Finals, Shaq asked Curry if he would join the all-time top 10 list alongside him with another ring. But O’Neal replied that Curry was already in his company. “Some guys have their own special category that you can’t mess with,” O’Neal said on First Take. “For example, when it comes to the most dominant, Wilt [Chamberlain], myself. The GOAT, you always got Kobe, LeBron and Mike. When it comes to the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry is in there by himself. So, does that make him top 10? In my opinion, it does.”
