It's no secret that Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry is currently Shaquille O'Neal's favorite player in the NBA. However, by his own admission, Shaq himself revealed that he was actually a Steph hater early on.
In a recent appearance on the All the Smoke podcast with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, Shaq explained why he used to be a naysayer, and how Curry absolutely proved him wrong at every turn:
“I used to hate on him early on in his career,” O'Neal said, via Caitlyn Holroyd of the Score. “(I'd say), ‘He ain't gonna make that,' but he kept proving me wrong and that's why he's my best player.
“I like being proved wrong, so my message to these young cats: When I say something, prove me wrong.”
To be fair, not many believed that Curry would be the superstar that he is today. He was glossed over early in his career and the multitude of injuries he had to endure only added to the doubt. Needless to say, the Warriors superstar has thrown all that out the window.
As for Shaquille O'Neal, the Hall of Fame big man is certainly not one to mince words. He's been critical of the Curry in the past, but what's worth noting here is O'Neal's willingness to accept the fact that he was completely wrong on Stephen Curry.
Recently, it was Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell that caught the ire of Shaq. O'Neal told him point-blank that he doesn't think Mitchell has what it takes to take his game and his team to the next level. This appears to be another one of Shaq's mind games wherein — as he said — he wants to be proven wrong.
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