Following a 28 point performance in a comeback effort against the New York Knicks, Shaquille O’Neal called to put Steph Curry in the greatest of all time conversations.
“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 said during a gamebreak on TNT on Tuesday. “I’ve played against Mike, played with Kobe, played against and with LeBron, they’re all great. But at some point you’ve got to put Steph Curry in that category.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr agreed with O’Neal, and went on to call Curry the “greatest player ever from a skills standpoint.”
“I think he’s dead on because Steph is the most unique superstar of all time,” Kerr said on 95.7 The Game. “He broke barriers. He changed the game. What he does to this day is unique to himself. I can’t even imagine anybody what Steph does.”
Steph changed the game. Kerr said it. Shaq said it. 🐐🔥 #StephBetter pic.twitter.com/G3ZrDN2SpJ
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) March 5, 2025
Kerr continued: “It’s different, the way he impacts the game is different. When you have the conversations about who’s the greatest ever, you automatically go to these genetic marvels. LeBron, Michael Jordan, and Wilt Chamberlain, whoever else. Steph doesn’t fit that mold. From a skills standpoint, it’s not even close. He is the greatest ever from a skills standpoint.”
Unlike the players that are widely viewed as the greatest in NBA history, Curry is 6’3″. He is not 6’9″ or 7’1″ like a LeBron or Wilt, and does not have the vertical jump that Michael Jordan did. Curry rarely dunks, and instead makes his mark from the three-point line, where he is unmatched as a shooter over his career.
As Kerr says, Curry does not match the traditional prototype for the best NBA players in history. Regardless, whether or not Curry is actually considered the greatest ever does not diminish his immense impact on basketball and the NBA. Between leading the Warriors’ dynasty to expanding the use of the three-point play, Curry has left a lasting legacy on the sport that will carry well past his eventual retirement.