Over the last 10 years, every matchup between LeBron James and Stephen Curry has been a must-see experience. In more recent years, there is an element of emotion added to their matchups as we don’t know how much longer they’ll be in the league. The two titans went against one another tonight, where Steph’s team got the better of LeBron’s Lakers.
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After the 123-116 win, Shaquille O’Neal shared his thoughts on the career trajectory of the Warriors veteran on TNT. He revealed that he had his doubts about Steph’s future when assessing his career early on. The big fella also said that Steph and LeBron are like David and Goliath.
LeBron, from the very beginning, was known as ‘The Chosen One’. He had the perfect frame for a basketball player and was a star in his teenage years, earning him Shaq’s ‘Goliath’ moniker.
Steph, on the other hand, wasn’t rated too high because of his physique, a completely different approach to the game, and being injury-prone. Despite the odds stacked against him, Steph worked his magic and ended up revolutionizing the sport.
Shaq said on TNT following the game, “When he first came in, I was like, yeah he’s a great shooter but he’s…always injured. That’s why I’ll keep lobbying for him when you talk about the greatest players to ever play the game. Just put him in the conversation.”
The big fella had valid reasons to be skeptical of Steph’s future in the league. He was constantly getting injured in the beginning, which almost derailed his career before it took off.
However, the Zamst A2-DX ankle braces became a lifesaver for him. After playing only 26 games in the 2011-12 season, Steph found the ultimate solution to his problems and hasn’t looked back since. It helped him go from another failed potential to one of the all-time greats.
Shaquille O’Neal roots for Stephen Curry to be in the GOAT debate
The NBA GOAT debate is one of the longest-running discussions in the sport. Over several decades, numerous great players have graced the sport. From Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, the late, great Kobe Bryant, to LeBron James and Stephen Curry. However, the discussions have essentially boiled down to only two players: MJ and LeBron.
Shaq has said that he wants to see Steph in these discussions as well. One might not pick him as the greatest, but not adding his name to the list is a great disservice. On TNT, he said, “I demand you fans to start putting Steph Curry in that ‘Greatest of All-Time’ conversation. There’s Mike, Kobe, LeBron. I demand it.”
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It’s a positive move from Shaq because not a lot of people see Steph as a GOAT contender. Despite everything he has done for the league, he is still discarded from the biggest debate in sports history.
