Do you remember when Shaquille O’Neal mentioned how Stephen Curry killed the game? He spoke, “It’s down because we’re looking at the same thing,” O’Neal said. The barrage of three-pointers in the game caused people to switch channels as basketball has revolutionized from the fundamental game to the three-point shooting game.

Shaq continued, “Everybody is running the same plays… Steph Curry and those guys messed it up. 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.” Well, let’s run down the recent NBA numbers for the Golden State Warriors vs Dallas Mavericks.

Before jumping into the details, Adam Silver and the NBA signed an agreement of $77 billion for over 11 years to increase the NBA’s viewership. With TNT ending their 34-year association, fans seemed disgruntled about changing the broadcasters. The commentary team of Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller provided their expert opinions, and most people loved their partnership. Nonetheless, the game created waves in the viewership analytics and the Stephen Curry effect worked wonders. Well, guess what he did!

With the NBA displaying shoddy numbers at the start of the season, Curry’s first nationally televised game drew 2.14 million viewers on TNT. It became the most-watched game since Opening Night with up to a 30% increase. The Warriors have featured themselves in the two most-watched games since the NBA season began. Significantly, it included their match against the Celtics last week, which drew a whopping 2.14 million viewers, according to Sportsmedia Watch, which includes ESPN.

The game finished in favor of the Warriors with a stunning 37-point performance from Stephen Curry. The player scored a three on Dereck Lively II, which peaked at 2.6 million viewers at the outset. It’s incredible. The game sparks a contrasting image compared to the Clippers-Nuggets game last year, which saw 1.17 million. It’s a staggering 84% increase. So no, Curry’s not the problem.

Stephen Curry’s magnetic energy gets in the bucks!

If you explore the last 10 years of the NBA, the Warriors won the NBA title 4 times and reached the finals twice. And if you look at the most successful franchises in the last decade, they rank above anyone else. Three players – Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green remained the core for Steve Kerr to create a dynasty. Yes, they might have changed the game with their three-point bombs, but fans are wise to watch them play.

At a time when attention span diminishes each passing year, Warriors are no-nonsense. They put up 3-pointers because they are excellent at it. If you look at the NBA All-Star weekend, the dunk contest appears to have lost its charm.

The 2016 battle between Aaron Gordan and Zach LaVine peaked like no other dunk contest. But it probably came back to bite the hand that fed them with the contest failing in its own success. No one could match that. Hence, most fans love the three-point contest now.

There are calls to make it the main event in All-Star games because it’s always fascinating to see deep threes go in. Like it or not, Curry revolutionized the game of basketball. The TV viewership will increase if he gets in the groove and the numbers confirm when he gets on TV. He is one intriguing player to watch.

Of course, we love the fundamentals of post-play, mid-range shots, or even pick-and-roll. But, sport is evolving and so is basketball.