Shaquille O’Neal recently appeared for an interview on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show, where he addressed the topic of his GOATs in the NBA.
The Lakers legend pointed to a flaw in the debate of discounting eras in order to bring it down to the single greatest player of all time. Moreover, he feels Stephen Curry has done enough to be in the discussion as well now.
“Yes, it’s unfair because the eras were different. They put me up against Wilt, his era vs. my era. And me personally, I like to think I would dominate him. That’s why I like to break it down by eras,” said O’Neal.
“When you’re talking about that GOAT conversation, I would like to hear all the names, and I’m about to add one more name, because he’s unbelievable.”
“Rather than just going Mike and LeBron, which is fine, your choice, but you gotta put Kobe in there, just put him in the conversation. And now I’m saying it here on the Pat McAfee show, gotta put Steph Curry in there.”
“The only thing Steph Curry has done that those guys have not done is a finishing dunk. Think about what I’m saying, all the other guys have a finishing dunk play, but Stephen Curry from behind that line, his impact is similar to that of the finishing dunk. But you definitely have to put him in the conversation of one of the greatest players of all time,” O’Neal concluded.
Shaquille O’Neal thus confirmed that his Mt. Rushmore of NBA basketball would be Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Stephen Curry. The Lakers’ legend has previously also said that Stephen Curry belongs on his Mt. Rushmore. But among them, if he were to pick a single GOAT, he would pick Michael Jordan.
Considering that Shaquille O’Neal is a big man, his Mt. Rushmore being dominated by guards is indeed saying something about their impact on the league over the years.
But I do agree with him when he says that in terms of generational impact, Stephen Curry definitely belongs in the conversation of those players who have forever changed the way that people play basketball.
Another key thing to note is that even Shaquille O’Neal’s response discounts the impact of players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain, both of whom redefined what a big man can do in the NBA. It also ignores winning championships as a criterion for considering the GOAT because then players like Magic Johnson (5), Tim Duncan (5), Scottie Pippen (6), and Robert Horry (7) could make a case for the discussion.
Therefore, while this list may subjectively be correct, it may not be an objective list of the top four players of all time. Do you agree with Shaquille O’Neal about the impact of Stephen Curry warranting his name to also be in the discussion? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
