"Right now he is the clear favorite for the MVP. Crystal clear” - Shaquille O’Neal fully expects Stephen Curry to land his third Maurice Podoloff trophy this season
Shaquille O'Neal, Hall of Famer and arguably the most dominant player in league history, believes Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors is going to bag this season's MVP trophy. Curry has been playing on another level this season and is by far the sweeping favorite for NBA MVP across every oddsmaker and analyst in the world.
Shaquille O'Neal is an analyst on "Inside the NBA on TNT" alongside Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson. In a blockbuster showdown between arguably the two best teams in the league, the Golden State Warriors played the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night on TNT. O'Neal gave his prediction for the season's MVP in the pre-game preview and he chose the baby-faced assassin from the Bay Area. The four-time champion said:
"Right now he is the clear favorite for the MVP. Crystal clear."
Standing ovation for Warriors’ Stephen Curry at Staples Center as 2022 NBA MVP favorite finishes with 33 points (7-13 on threes), 5 rebounds, 6 assists & 6 steals in road win over Clippers https://t.co/aEPt4ddkjX
Stephen Curry is now hearing MVP chants in road arenas, from Charlotte to Los Angeles to Brooklyn and even Cleveland. He is dropping threes at an absurd rate and recently broke his own record for the least number of games required to touch 100 threes. He did it in just 19 games. Stephen Curry has the most 40-point games in the league with four and the only 50-point performance this season so far. He is on pace to break his single-season three-point record and will surpass Ray Allen on the all-time leaderboard in just a matter of a few games.
Standing ovation for Warriors’ Stephen Curry at Staples Center as 2022 NBA MVP favorite finishes with 33 points (7-13 on threes), 5 rebounds, 6 assists & 6 steals in road win over Clippers https://t.co/aEPt4ddkjX
There is little to no argument to deny his MVP case this season. Basketball-Reference has given Stephen Curry a 66% chance to win the award as of today.
Shaquille O'Neal calls Stephen Curry his favorite player
Shaquille O'Neal has said that Stephen Curry is his favorite player on numerous occasions. From his TNT show and Big Podcast to talk shows and interviews, he calls the two-time MVP his favorite because he hasn't ever seen anything like him. He even addressed Curry himself as "Hello, my favorite player" when the latter came on TNT for a postgame interview.
"I’ve never seen anything like Steph. That’s why he’s my favorite player." - SHAQ
Stephen Curry #NBAAllStar twitter.com/warriors/statu… https://t.co/FJGCBHoYiK
Shaquille O'Neal spoke about what mesmerized him about Stephen Curry's game and why he is his favorite player on his podcast, "The Big Podcast with Shaq". O'Neal is infamous for hating on players and not giving them their due credit, so when he publicly admits that he loves watching and rooting for Curry, it's a sight for sore eyes. He said:
"The reason why Steph is my favorite player is because I have never seen anybody do it like he does....I have seen real greatness. If you not equal or above that, you get no props from me. Steph Curry, I’ve never seen it....I would actually go pay to see him. And the more I hate on him, the more he shuts me up."
Shaquille O'Neal once admitted that he used to criticize Stephen Curry during the latter's younger years in the NBA. O'Neal felt that the shots Curry was taking were risky and he wouldn't routinely make them. But once Curry started dropping threes at an absurd rate, he gained Shaq's respect.