With the NBA season close to its halfway point, it’s not just the race to the playoffs that is heating up between teams, but also the MVP race between the league’s best players. Among the early contenders for the award are LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. But former players Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade want the name of Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry to be added to that list. During an appearance on NBA on TNT, Wade said that Curry is playing “at an MVP level” so far this season and even revealed that the two-time MVP is his favorite player to watch.

Wade also pointed to the Warriors’ middling record this season as a possible reason why Curry is not receiving the same consideration that the likes of James and Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant are getting. During Curry’s back-to-back MVP seasons, Golden State finished with records of 67-15 and 73-9, while the Warriors have a 13-12 record so far, putting them in the eighth spot in the Western Conference.

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O’Neal agreed to his former Miami Heat teammate’s assessment, comparing Curry to former player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, who played for the Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, and the then Vancouver Grizzlies. The four-time champion compared Curry’s dribbling skills and quick release to those of Abdul-Rauf, and said that he and fellow analyst Charles Barkley initially doubted that the Warriors could win championships with their style of play.

But the former Laker, Heat, and Orlando Magic big man admitted that seeing Curry continue to succeed as a shooter earned his respect. He may have an uphill climb as far as winning his third MVP, but the Warriors guard has certainly earned the love and respect of two legends in Wade and O’Neal.