Shaquille O’Neal had an illustrious career as a player in the NBA. He is among the top 10 players in all-time leading league scorers. However, players such as Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and James Harden lead the points tally to a great extent. This makes Shaq believe he might fall out of place soon. One of the major reasons players like Curry, Durant, and Harden lead the points table is because of the number of three-pointers they have been taking throughout their careers. Shaq could never nail the three-pointers. He made only 1 three-point shot throughout his storied NBA career. However, he’s still on a similar point tally to those mentioned before.
Advertisement
Shaq was one of the most dominant players on the court during his playing days. He is considered to be one of the greatest centers of all time. However, his 19-year career was cut short due to an Achilles Heel injury while with the Boston Celtics.
“Durant, Harden, and Curry probably passed me up”: Shaquille O’Neal believes he will soon fall behind in the top 10 in leading points scorer list
In the latest episode of The Big Podcast, Shaq thinks he will soon be passed by Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and James Harden as top points scorers. LeBron James is the leading points scorer in the NBA, scoring 38,652. Shaq has scored 28,596 points throughout his career, averaging 23.7 PPG. This puts Shaquille O’Neal in eighth place, just above Wilt Chamberlain and Dirk Nowitzki.
Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Steph Curry are in positions 13, 25, and 38, respectively. When asked about the leading scorers on the table, Shaq believes he would be out of the top 10 within two years. Shaq was quoted saying,
“I’m gonna be out of the top ten in about two years. Durant, Harden, and Curry probably passed me up.”
When Shaq was asked about whether James Harden could last the league with his current form, he further elaborated,
“I don’t know where he is right now [in the league], but the three ball. You know anybody that can shoot the three ball [three-pointers] like that is a chance because that’s one extra point. Yeah, I think about it all the time. But guess what? My career was a failure.”
Shaq might be wrong here in believing his career was a failure. He is a three-peat winner with the Los Angeles Lakers and was a Finals MVP throughout that three-peat era. He also won one more championship with the Miami Heat in 2006, making him a four-time NBA champion.
Shaq’s biggest regret is not passing Wilt Chamberlain in the points tally
Shaq has always wanted to be known as the most dominant player to step into the league. However, this title might need some reservation, given Wilt Chamberlain’s similar achievements.
Chamberlain played as a center from 1950 till 1973, scoring 31,419 points throughout his career. If Shaq had managed to pass Chamberlain in terms of points, he would have been crowned the most dominant player ever. According to Shaq, if he had crossed the number, he could safely consider himself the most dominant player of all time. However, considering he didn’t pass Wilt, he has reservations about giving himself that accolade.
