“Did Steph Curry really drop 21 points on Shaquille O’Neal as a rookie?”: Two seemingly distant legends had their eras collide as Warriors faced LeBron James and Cavaliers

Steph Curry and Shaquille O’Neal once played each other in an NBA game during the 2009-10 season in a game between GSW and Cavs. 

Steph Curry was drafted with the 7th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft while Shaquille O’Neal was drafted 1st overall 17 years prior in the 1992 NBA Draft. it would seem as though the two wouldn’t really have a chance to play against one another but that wasn’t the case, thanks to Shaq’s longevity. 

The fact that O’Neal could play a full 19 seasons without any major injuries until his very last one in Boston is a true testament to how genetically gifted he was. Carrying 150kg for two decades eventually led to him having to retire after tearing his Achilles while on the Celtics. 

Despite that, Shaq would still be able to play against a man who is so far removed from his era that it seems strange to think about him sharing the court with Steph Curry. 

In all fairness however, Vince Carter, who was drafted in 1997, did play against a team that had Ja Morant on it, which seems pretty ludicrous as well.

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Shaquille O’Neal and Steph Curry ‘faced off’ in 2010. 

Steph Curry wasn’t looked at as a player that emerge into the superstar that he is today back when he was a rookie. Back then, the Golden State Warriors were looked at as Corey Maggette and Monta Ellis’s team. While Curry was on the rise however, Shaq was on a steep decline.

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During a game on January 11th, 2010, the ‘baby faced assassin’ went against the Cleveland Cavaliers where he would face off against LeBron James and ‘The Big Aristotle’. Curry would blow past Shaq a couple times and even hit a jumper on his face on a switch in the mid-range.

Curry would end the game with 21 points while Shaq had himself a solid 13 points on 62.5% shooting from the field. LeBron James of course, off the back of his first MVP and gunning for his second (which he got that same year), would drop a casual 37 points in a 117-114 win.