"I'm the black Steph Curry" - Shaquille O'Neal admits being 'jealous' of 3 modern-day centers in NBA
Shaquille O'Neal is considered by many to be the most dominating big man in NBA history. His Hall of Fame career backed up that description and it is a title that he has embraced with gusto. Shaq was a one-man wrecking crew when he was inside the paint during his prime years in the league.
Despite his overwhelming presence on the court, the 7-foot-1, 325-pound behemoth wished he was allowed to play the game a bit differently. On more than a few occasions, he has added another title to his resume. He calls himself the “Black Steph Curry.”
There is nothing remotely similar in how the Golden State Warriors point guard and the LA Lakers legend play the game. While Shaquille O'Neal bludgeons opponents to submission, Curry does it by raining down 3s. Although the difference is incredibly obvious, Shaq explained on “The Draymond Green Show” why he gave himself that nickname:
“I wish I could step out and shoot the 3, brother. You know why I call myself the black Steph Curry? Because if I go to the gym and miss 190 f**king 3s and make one, I’m the black Steph Curry. That s**t feel good, to step out there and shoot the 3, bro.
O’Neal added that had he played in today’s NBA, he would have adjusted like the “modern” big man. He named three players whose game he greatly appreciates:
“I’m jealous of them because I wish I was allowed to do that. Embiid is a mixture of me in the post and Hakeem Olajuwon outside the post. And Joker? I was thinking a little Brad Daugherty, a little Sabonis ‘84. His game is just nice. Wembanyama is different. He is thin but he does stuff. … I really like those three guys.”
Embiid, Jokic and Wembanyama are three of the best centers in the NBA today. The first two have won the NBA MVP award in three of the past four years. “Wemby,” who is only just getting started, has the greatest of all-time mantle on his horizon if he stays healthy.
Part of what makes their game attractive is their ability to hit from behind the arc. Shaquille O'Neal claimed his coaches would go “crazy” if he did the same during his heydays.
Kobe Bryant thought Shaquille O'Neal’s game would be impactful in the modern game
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were the superstars in the LA Lakers’ dominance in the early 2000s. They didn’t have the best relationship but on most days, they were unstoppable. Had they stuck together, they might have won more championships.
Bryant was still in the NBA when the “modern” era was in full swing. He retired in 2016 when Steph Curry’s behind-the-arc assault had become the sexy way of playing basketball. The “Black Mamba” had this to say how O’Neal would have fared in such style:
(15:55 mark)
“The small ball that people play now, ‘If you guys were playing today, you can’t play that style.’ I’m saying, ‘Hold on.’ I don’t think you guys really understand how much we control pace and tempo because with you down there, the game stops.
"You can’t go anywhere because the defense is gonna come down and that stops you from running out, no long rebounds, none of that. I would just love to see how they would deal with that.”
Shaquille O'Neal was in his last few years in the NBA when the small ball and space and pace styles became the norm. Bryant had no doubt his former legendary teammate would have caused a different game plan from opponents.
As O'Neal claimed, he might have added a few wrinkles to his game. His inside forays would still be unstoppable and he might have developed an outside shot.