Shaquille O’Neal opened up his admiration for Stephen Curry recently, after yet another Golden State Warriors title.
The iconic former center placed the star among the ten greatest players of all time. His quality as a pitcher, in particular, makes the idol’s eyes sparkle. Shaq views Curry as simply a unique athlete in NBA history.
“There is no one like Stephen. People remember me because I was unique and so is he. He is in his own category in NBA history, as he is the greatest shooter of all time.” Shaq said.
“He’s not one of the best or anything, but the best. We’re talking about the greatest of all time in the matter, certainly. And TOP 10 overall,” Shaq added.
It’s hard to question, indeed, Curry’s historic sovereignty as a kicker in the NBA. Not only did he become the athlete with the most three-pointers in history, but also the first to pass 3000 conversions.
His 42.8% hit on such attempts at the same time is the second best record in the TOP 50. For Shaq, the point guard’s status as a pitcher is unlike anything that exists today.
“I don’t see the potential for anyone to be in a category of their own in the league today, as well as Stephen.” Shaq said.
“Players like Giannis Antetokounmpo , Kevin Durant and LeBron James are sure to be among the best of all time. But on an isolated level on something specific? Not. Stephen, for his part, is at a unique level among the kickers we’ve seen,” he added.
The pitch, however, isn’t the only point that makes Curry a name in NBA history for Shaq. The former athlete is also impressed with the ability of a “short” player to dominate the game like never before.
The greatest of all time, after all, always have the physical-athletic imposition as a virtue. So, the Warriors star is an outlier in the history of the sport.
