Shaquille O’Neal has no shortage of love for Steph Curry.
The legendary NBA center explained that Curry’s unassuming looks and killer shooting have made him a big admirer.
“You know why I love Steph Curry?,” O’Neal said to WNBA rising star Angel Reese on the “Unapologetically Angel” show. “Because I’ve never seen that before. I’ve never seen a guy consistently come down. If you look at Steph on the street, he doesn’t have the LeBron muscle, he’s not 6’9” he’s not 6’10”, he looks like a normal office guy. But he’s doing stuff that we’ve never seen before.”
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While Curry might stand almost a foot shorter than O’Neal, his impact on the game has been just as large.
Prior to the emergence of the Warriors as title contenders, the three-point shot was seen mostly as a novelty rather than a legitimate offensive strategy. Big, bruising centers like O’Neal were the norm, pounding the rim and opening up space for mid-range shots.
Once Curry and Klay Thompson unleashed their jaw-dropping long-range attack, the league was never the same. Now, the three-point shot is a foundational part of every team, with many up-and-coming players trying to emulate Curry’s half-court magic.
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Still, Curry is not anywhere close to hanging it up, as his incredible finish at the Paris Olympic Games demonstrated the 36-year-old has plenty left in the tank. So, expect him to continue to dazzle O’Neal and the rest of the NBA’s old guard with his dazzling shot-making.