Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal believes that Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is “by far” the best player in the world right now.
“I do, but nobody’s going to beat the best player in the world, Steph Curry,” O’Neal said when asked about the Western Conference.
O’Neal didn’t back down when he was questioned about his take on Curry.
“Yeah, by far,” O’Neal said of Curry being the best player in the world. “Hell yeah. As Kenny [Smith] would tell you, you can have a category, but the real ones are recognized by the championships that you have. Nobody plays better than Steph Curry. He’s a tough shot-taker, tough shot-maker. I like where he’s brought his career.”
Curry led the Warriors to an NBA title in the 2021-22 season, as he won the NBA Finals MVP award in Golden State’s series win over the Boston Celtics.
During the 2021-22 campaign, Curry averaged 25.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 38.0 percent from beyond the arc.
A two-time MVP, Curry has been one of the league’s top players for quite some time. O’Neal, who is a four-time NBA champion and former MVP, knows what it takes to become one of the best players in the NBA.
The fact that O’Neal believes Curry is the best in the world speaks volumes about his play in last season’s playoffs. Curry was magnificent for Golden State, especially in the NBA Finals, when he averaged 31.2 points per game and shot 43.7 percent from 3-point range.
Curry will look to prove O’Neal right by leading Golden State back to the playoffs and on another deep postseason run in the 2022-23 season.
