Why Shaq loves Steph, says he looks ‘like a normal office guy’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Shaquille O’Neal has no shortage of love for Steph Curry.
The legendary NBA center explained that Curry’s unassuming looks and killer shooting have made him a big admirer.
“You know why I love Steph Curry?,” O’Neal said to WNBA rising star Angel Reese on the “Unapologetically Angel” show. “Because I’ve never seen that before. I’ve never seen a guy consistently come down. If you look at Steph on the street, he doesn’t have the LeBron muscle, he’s not 6’9” he’s not 6’10”, he looks like a normal office guy. But he’s doing stuff that we’ve never seen before.”
While Curry might stand almost a foot shorter than O’Neal, his impact on the game has been just as large.
Prior to the emergence of the Warriors as title contenders, the three-point shot was seen mostly as a novelty rather than a legitimate offensive strategy. Big, bruising centers like O’Neal were the norm, pounding the rim and opening up space for mid-range shots.
Once Curry and Klay Thompson unleashed their jaw-dropping long-range attack, the league was never the same. Now, the three-point shot is a foundational part of every team, with many up-and-coming players trying to emulate Curry’s half-court magic.
Still, Curry is not anywhere close to hanging it up, as his incredible finish at the Paris Olympic Games demonstrated the 36-year-old has plenty left in the tank. So, expect him to continue to dazzle O’Neal and the rest of the NBA’s old guard with his dazzling shot-making.
