Stephen Curry is often regarded as the player who ruined the game of basketball with his revolutionizing of the three-point line during the mid-2010s. Iman Shumpert believes that this revolution could’ve been delayed, if not prevented completely, had the Cleveland Cavaliers not lost the 2015 finals.
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On Shaquille O’Neal’s “The Big Podcast”, Shumpert blamed his former team for the league’s three-point revolution. The former shooting guard justified his take by stating that, had the Cavs won the title, the remaining teams in the league wouldn’t have much faith in the Warriors’ formula to shoot an abundance of three-pointers.
Instead, Steve Kerr and Co.’s win became a roadmap for the entire league to emulate to win a championship.
“Once they beat us, the two-pointer was gone. If you really break it down, I know my teammates going to hate me for this, it’s our fault… If we don’t lose that first championship, who shooting threes? Cause y’all be telling look this was the formula,” Shumpert explained to Shaq.
Shumpert didn’t imply that this drastic change in three-point shooting has been boring. However, it’s no secret that he is not a fan of the small ball ruining the traditional mode of basketball.
A couple of weeks ago, even Shaq expressed his dissatisfaction with this increase, a take that was later disregarded by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Silver responds to Shaq’s three-point comments
O’Neal claims to be okay with the fact that good shooting teams are attempting more three-pointers. But at the same time, the ones that don’t shoot as well, should simply not implement this strategy.
“Everybody is running the same plays… I don’t mind Golden State back in the day shooting threes, but every team isn’t a 3-point shooter. So why everybody has the same strategy? I think it makes the game boring,” Shaq said.
Numerous analysts have spoken about the evolution of the three-point shot in the past. However, not many have expressed their aversion towards it in the same manner as the Big Aristotle has.
His comment even prompted a reply from Adam Silver, who was respecting the NBA on TNT pundit’s opinion. But the commissioner implied that this change has made the league more popular than ever before.
“I respect his opinion… When Shaq played, it was the exact opposite, with critics complaining, ‘There’s not enough variation in your game – it’s all about dunking’… This is a good opportunity this season, as we’re about to enter into three 11-year television deals, to step back and study the game a bit. Our game has never been more popular,” Silver said.
The emergence of the three-point shot has created a slight rift between fans over the years. However, with the undeniable logic of the “3 is more than 2” philosophy, it’s clear that three-point revolution is here to stay.
