Shaquille O'Neal's affinity and admiration for Stephen Curry are well-documented, but his latest claim about the greatest shooter of all time is still quite bold.
While on the ‘Off The Record' podcast, Shaq discussed the idea of replacing Kobe Bryant on the early 2000s Los Angeles Lakers and how that would have affected their championship success. And he seemed to think that there were a few players who could have done the job, including Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter — but just no one better than Curry, even Bryant.
“Let me go on record and say TMac was a bad motherf****a,” O'Neal said. “But see, you gotta understand, when TMac out there by himself, he don't really have room to operate. Our guy (Bryant) had room to operate, 'cause I got 3 people on me … The only way you can differ them (McGrady and Bryant) is championships. That's it… TMac was a bad boy too, he really didn't have enough room to operate. So I agree with what T-Mac said. Probably get a lot of flak, but I always said myself, I think I could've got three in a row with T-Mac. I think I could've got two with Vince. Oh, I know I get six with Steph [Curry].”
[Off The Record] Shaq : "Our guy (Kobe) had room to operate cuz I got 3 people on me…I agree with what T-Mac said. Probably get a lot of flak, but I always said myself, I think I could've got 3 in a row with T-Mac, I think I could've got 2 with Vince, Oh I know I get 6 with Steph"
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The comment is sure to rankle some fans, particularly Bryant supporters, but it is undeniable that a duo of Curry and O'Neal would have been nearly impossible to guard at any point in the last 30 years.
Shaq, a former MVP, used his size, strength, and surprising agility to become what is most likely the single most dominant inside force in NBA history. Meanwhile, over the last decade-plus, Curry has solidified himself as the best 3-point shooter in the league's record books; he currently has nearly 1,000 more 3-pointers made than any other player while shooting 42.3% from beyond the arc throughout his career, which is the second-highest of any player with at least 1,700 made 3s (only Kyle Korver is ahead in that regard).
If prime Curry and O'Neal played for the same team, whether it was for the Lakers in the early 2000s, Golden State Warriors in the mid-2010s, or just about any other team, they would undoubtedly rank as one of the most unstoppable offenses ever.
