SHAQUILLE O’NEAL ADMITS HE UNDERESTIMATED STEPHEN CURRY ON PODCAST AND GETS EMOTIONAL EXPLAINING WHY
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In a rare moment of vulnerability, basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal admitted how he initially underestimated Stephen Curry’s impact on the NBA. Shaq confessed that he resisted acknowledging the revolution Curry was bringing to the game. What began as skepticism slowly transformed into a profound lesson in humility and respect.
During an episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, Shaq, whose imposing figure filled the specially reinforced chair, shared a story that left the studio silent with awe. The co-hosts had been discussing players who changed the game, and the screen behind them flashed to Shaq’s own peak moments: devastating dunks, massive celebrations, and his four championship rings. Shaq had represented the pinnacle of physical dominance in basketball. But when the video switched to highlight Curry’s gameplay, the contrast was striking. Curry, physically smaller than Shaq, launched impossible shots from extreme distances, breaking long-established conventions in the game.
Shaq’s normally playful demeanor shifted as the co-host directly asked what he thought when this “skinny kid” started changing basketball with his three-point shooting. Shaq admitted that at first, he didn’t believe in Curry’s success. “I come from a school where basketball is won in the paint,” Shaq explained. “I was the Big Aristotle, the Diesel. My game was about physical dominance.”
He shared that when he first saw Curry play, he thought of him as a “fad” — a player who didn’t look like he belonged in the same league physically. Shaq’s doubts grew even stronger when Curry struggled with injuries in his early years with the Warriors, especially his ankle problems. “I thought, ‘See, this is what happens with these smaller guys. They can’t handle the grind of the NBA,'” Shaq said.
Despite Curry’s struggles, Shaq remained skeptical of the three-point shooting style. “I said on air with no filter that shooting teams don’t win championships,” Shaq remembered. He believed winning championships was all about physical dominance in the paint.
However, over time, Shaq started to see Curry’s game evolve. The Warriors started winning games, but Shaq thought that when it came to the playoffs, where the game is more physical, Curry’s style wouldn’t survive. He called it a “brotherhood of dinosaurs” among the old school players, including himself, who didn’t believe in the long-range shooting revolution.
But as the Warriors’ dominance grew and Curry kept breaking records — including setting the record for the most three-pointers in a season — Shaq could no longer deny the impact Curry was having. Then came the defining moment: on February 27, 2016, in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Curry hit a jaw-dropping, game-winning shot from 30 feet away in overtime. Shaq, watching the game from home, couldn’t deny it anymore. “I was trying not to see what was right in front of me,” Shaq admitted.
Shaq continued to reflect on his earlier dismissals of Curry’s game, acknowledging that he had been wrong. “When they won in 2015, I told everyone that they only won because Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving were injured,” Shaq said, lowering his voice with a hint of shame. “I was looking for any excuse.”
The transformation of his own mindset took another shift when Shaq’s son, who had become obsessed with Curry, pointed out that Shaq seemed to dislike Curry. “Dad, why don’t you like Curry? Is it because he plays differently than you?” Shaq recalled, clearly moved by the memory. This question forced Shaq to confront his own ego and to question why he had been so resistant to Curry’s greatness.
Later, Shaq had a conversation with Dell Curry, Steph’s father, who told him about the relentless work Steph had put in as a kid, shooting endless hours to overcome his physical limitations. “That’s when I started seeing this everywhere,” Shaq said, realizing that kids no longer wanted to dunk like him. Instead, they wanted to shoot like Curry.
The moment of true revelation came when Shaq, emotionally vulnerable, admitted that he had been “completely wrong about Stephen Curry.” His voice cracked as he said, “Not just wrong about his ability, but wrong about what it means to be great in this game.” Shaq acknowledged that Curry had shown him a new kind of greatness — not through physical dominance but through precision, skill, and a new way of thinking about strength in basketball.
Shaq’s realization went deeper, recognizing that the game had evolved and that players could now achieve greatness in ways he had once thought impossible. He saw how the NBA was changing, with teams adopting shooting-heavy lineups and the game expanding beyond just the paint. “Steph showed me that there’s another kind of strength,” Shaq reflected. “Precision is also power. Skill is also dominance.”
With a smile on his face, Shaq ended the podcast by stating, “But let me make one thing clear, if Curry tried to take me on in the paint, it would still be a disaster for him,” and the studio erupted in laughter, ending the podcast on a light-hearted note.
As Shaq embraced his own evolution and growth, he realized that, just like Curry had transformed basketball, he too was evolving — maintaining his essence but expanding his horizons. The old school was blending with the new, and Shaq had learned to respect that.
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