Stephen Curry dropping 56 points while approaching 37 years of age has fans and experts swooning over the 4x NBA champ. Shaquille O’Neal, during his appearance on TNT’s Pregame Show, went to the extent of demanding inclusion of Curry in the GOAT debate among other names- Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James–that frequently headline the debate. Well, there is no doubt that the Golden State Warriors star is a generational talent in himself. But has he done enough to be compared at the highest level? Well, we have former Boston Celtics star and 2008 NBA champ, who certainly believes there’s still time.

The Celtics legend in discussion is Paul Pierce, who was asked for his opinion about Shaquille O’Neal’s claim for Stephen Curry. “As the supreme leader of the Big Man Alliance, I demand you fans to start putting Steph Curry in that greatest of all time conversation,” O’Neal had said. Pierce’s response?

The Celtics legend has no doubt about Steph being an unexceptional athlete. But he believes that fans need to wait for the GSW star’s career to be over to assess Curry’s worthiness for inclusion in the GOAT debate. But then the question arises: Why include LeBron James in the GOAT debate when he too is still active in the league?

Well, Pierce had a perfect response regarding the Bron dilemma during his appearance on the Speak. “The reason we can start talking about LeBron is because how long he’s been doing it and starting at a young age and the expectations we put on LeBron. And that’s why we can start these conversations while he’s still playing.” As for Steph, Pierce believes Stephen Curry still has room for growth. So much so that the ex-Celtics star believes Curry could still win another championship.

“Because the way he’s playing, he look like he got another four or five years left for him,” Pierce said. But before that, The Truth believes it would be unfair against Curry itself to bring him into the GOAT debate when he still has room to unlock more awards and accolades.

“Is he the greatest shooter all time? I’m ready to say that before he’s done. Of course I can give him that,” Pierce said, adding that inclusion in the GOAT debate can be uncomfortable for Curry. “Sometimes we just got to lean back, enjoy it. And then we’ll talk about these things when it’s all said and done,” he added.

Stephen Curry, just like Bron, has 4 championships to his name. Similar to King James, he’s dropping impressive numbers that he once did in his 20s. Then why still wait on him? Well, there are certain factors keeping him out of the GOAT debate:

Why is Stephen Curry not in the GOAT debate

One of the biggest arguments against Curry’s GOAT candidacy is the sheer talent of the Warriors teams he’s played on. Critics argue that he benefited from an all-time supporting cast, while players like Jordan had to be the undisputed leaders of their dynasties. Sure, great players make great teams, but when you stack up Curry’s team success against Jordan’s Bulls, the gap is hard to ignore.

Then there’s the question of being a complete player. Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron have all been two-way forces, locking opponents down on defense while dominating on offense. Curry? His brilliance lies in his offensive wizardry, but his defensive impact has never been elite. In a game played on both ends, that’s a tough hurdle to clear.

For years, another argument against Curry was the lack of a Finals MVP. However, he finally secured that in 2022, quieting those doubters. And with more time on his plate, Stephen Curry could easily knock down more arguments against his GOAT eligibility. Exactly what Paul Pierce stated on Speak.