Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal revealed on The Big Podcast that he believes that Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry is “the best player in the world.” and went on to say Curry is the best “by far.”
Last season, Curry averaged 25.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 38.0 percent from beyond the arc. The first unanimous MVP in NBA history led the Warriors to their fourth title since 2015 and won his first Finals MVP after playing a large role in Golden State, beating the Boston Celtics in six games.
The fact that O’Neal believes Curry is the best in the world speaks volumes about his play in last season’s playoff run to the 2022 title. Curry was tough, especially in the NBA Finals, when he averaged 31.2 points per game and shot 43.7 percent from 3-point range.
“I do, but nobody’s going to beat the best player in the world, Steph Curry,” O’Neal said when asked about the Western Conference.
As a four-time champ and Hall-of-Famer himself, the Big Aristotle knows a thing or two about dominant basketball players and who’s holding the crown as the best hooper in the world. When O’Neal was given a chance to elaborate on his take, he didn’t back down about his opinion. His feeling about Curry is backed up by the fact that Curry averaged 31.2 points per game on 43.7 percent shooting from the field on his way to his first Finals MVP.
“Yeah, by far,” O’Neal said of Curry being the best player in the world. “Hell yeah. As Kenny [Smith] would tell you, you can have a category, but the real ones are recognized by the championships that you have. Nobody plays better than Steph Curry. He’s a tough shot-taker, tough shot-maker. I like where he’s brought his career.”
Curry will have a chance to validate O’Neal’s confidence in him with a successful title defense and another season of dominance from the greatest shooter of all time.
