Should Stephen Curry Be in the GOAT Conversation as Shaquille O’Neal Suggests?

Stephen Curry has been one of the best players in the league for years now and has undoubtedly cemented himself as the best shooter. But where does he stand All-Time? Recently, there have been debates about Curry being the best point guard ever. While Steph believes he is the best PG in history, NBA legend Magic Johnson made a strong argument as to why he is still the best. Despite this, Shaquille O’Neal recently wondered if Steph is the GOAT of basketball.

Now, that is a massive suggestion, considering it is coming from an All-Time great like O’Neal. But is Curry the best basketball player ever?

Shaquille O’Neal made a huge suggestion

Despite the Golden State Warriors‘ poor start to the season, Stephen Curry has been playing at a high level. Even though he struggled in some games, Curry is still averaging 28.2 points per game. In the recent game against the Boston Celtics, the sharpshooter scored just 13 points in the first three quarters as he battled foul trouble.

The 4x NBA champion then erupted in the fourth quarter and overtime for 20 points to lead the Warriors to a 132-126 win. Curry made some important plays throughout the game. He hit the clutch 3-pointer to tie the game late in regulation and also made another clutch shot in the dying minutes of OT to put the game to bed.

After the remarkable display, fans were in awe of the 2x NBA MVP including Shaquille O’Neal. The Hall of Famer was so impressed with Curry that he wondered whether the star was the best player of All-Time.

Shaq noted, “I’m just wondering, because [Curry] has been consistently the best shooter his whole career, I’m wondering if it’s time to put him as the best player of all time.”

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Kenny Smith looked a bit shocked by the claim and asked whether O’Neal would put Curry above him. The legendary center replied, “Yes, of course!” Shaq added that he has never seen anyone like Steph who has been performing at the highest level consistently and winning championships. O’Neal then stated that he was asking the fans whether it was time to put Curry in the GOAT conversation.

The legends in the GOAT debate

Michael Jordan and LeBron James are the two names that have been in most fans’ GOAT debate in recent times. Legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson are in the conversation as well. All four stars have been very successful in the league both in terms of individual achievements and team success. The same can be said about Stephen Curry as well.

The sharpshooter has won four titles so far. Some may argue Steph would not have four without the help of superstar Kevin Durant. But the same can be said about the other stars in the debate as well. Every legend has had a second All-NBA star alongside them to help with their title aspirations. Abdul-Jabbar and Magic had each other. Jordan had Scottie Pippen. LeBron had Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis during his championship wins.

Curry is also the only player ever to win the MVP award unanimously and has two titles to his name. He finally clinched the elusive Finals MVP in 2022. However, it has to be noted that he deserved to win it in 2015 over teammate Andre Iguodala as well. Also, he is undisputed when it comes to three-pointers.

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In the 2015-16 season, he became the first player to make 400 three-pointers in a season. Notably, he did it with an incredible efficiency making 45.6% of his attempts from beyond the arc. During the 2021-22 season, Curry set the record for most three-pointers made in the regular season with 3,300 which has now grown to 3,511. Also, he has the most games with 9+ three-pointers made at 38. Damian Lillard comes second with 11!

The Baby-Faced Assassin has led the league in three-pointers for a record 7 times so far. When all is said and done, Steph would have set an insurmountable three-point record as well. Also, he has the record for the most efficient free throw rating in league history at 91% as per ESPN.

Stephen Curry deserves a spot

Stephen Curry is one of the best players ever. However, he is not the GOAT. At least not yet. Even the most devout Curry fan would agree with that. The other legends usually in the GOAT debate are just better. While Steph has two MVP awards, Magic Johnson won three, LeBron James has four, Michael Jordan clinched five, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has six MVPs. Other than Abdul-Jabbar with two, all three players have more Final MVP awards than Curry.

While we argued every legend in the GOAT argument had a second All-NBA star to help them win rings, it has to be noted Steph became that star playing second fiddle to Kevin Durant. In the 2017-18 Finals, Durant averaged almost 10 more points than Curry. KD just averaged 1 more point than his teammate in the next year. The Slim Reaper averaged better numbers than Steph in every important category other than steals. However, Curry’s decision to take the back seat for the betterment of the team has to be applauded.

Furthermore, all four players put up legendary numbers in different categories when you check the All-Time stats. James is 1st in points, 4th in assists, and 8th in steals as per ESPN. Abdul-Jabbar is 2nd in points, 3rd in rebounds, and 3rd in blocks. Jordan is 5th in points and 4th in steals. Magic is 7th in assists and 23rd in steals. Magic and MJ only played 13 and 15 seasons respectively but still made a massive impact.

Curry is currently in his 15th year in the league, but he is not in the top 25 of points, assists, rebounds, steals, or blocks. Steph arguably changed the game with his three-point shooting. However, he still has some way to go in terms of numbers other than three-pointers. Also, his defensive abilities can’t be compared with the likes of LeBron, Abdul-Jabbar, MJ, or Magic. Even though Curry warrants more credit for his defense, he is still not as good as the others mentioned.

Overall, Curry is a great player and one of the most electric, but he is not the GOAT yet. However, as O’Neal later suggested, Steph deserves to be in the conversation with everything he has done in the NBA.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.