Fan-favorite players come and go. Even the GOATs of the game can change for each generation. Today’s superstars have very little in common with the greats of the game from years ago. Today’s “best ever” may not last forever, yet that doesn’t stop people from calling out their favorites. Even Shaq, who did just that on a recent episode of his own podcast.
The former Lakers superstar, TV commentator and Hall of Famer recently awarded the ultimate compliment to Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, calling him “the best player in the world.”
Check the link below to the latest (as of this writing) edition of The Big Podcast with Shaq. Along with O’Neal, this particular show featured fellow TNT Inside the NBA commentator / co-host Kenny Smith.
The two got into a conversation about the current best-of-breed, and Shaq talked about what he wanted to see in great players. For the big man, it’s all about the rings:
Shaq: “Yeah, by far. Hell yeah. As Kenny Smith would tell you, you can have a category, but the real ones are recognized by the championships that you have. Nobody plays better than Steph Curry. He’s a tough shot-taker, tough shot-maker. I like where he’s brought his career.”
Of course Shaq has a long history of talking up Steph Curry. Back during the season, O’Neal put Curry on his list of the top 10 players in NBA history. He went as far as to call Curry the greatest shooter of all time.
As the new season approaches, Curry is 13 campaigns into his pro career. He’s currently the all-time NBA leader in three-point shots made with 3,117. His lifetime stats all over the court are equally impressive: 24.3 points per game, 6.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 three-pointers made and 1.7 steals per game.
Steph Curry is an eight-time All-Star and two-time NBA MVP, but most importantly, at least for Shaq, he’s won four NBA championships. In his most recent Championship final series, he was named NBA Finals Series MVP as Dubs beat the Boston Celtics.
Sure, there are other great players in the game today. Look around the Assocation and find guys like Nikola (The Joke) Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo (the Greek Freak), Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. No doubt all are superstars and playing at an interstellar level.
All great, for sure, but then there’s Curry, who averaged 27.4 points per game in the playoffs en route to a championship last season.
As for O’Neal, he’s got four rings of his own, and with his career on the floor over, that’s all he’ll ever have. Right now, Curry is just one title away from surpassing him. That gets him plenty of props and respect from our man Shaq.