Shaquille O'Neal is a big fan of Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, but not necessarily for his on-court skills.
Instead, O'Neal admitted that his affinity for Curry comes from the 36-year-old's physique. O'Neal said he has never seen anything like Curry before, who looks like a “normal office guy” despite being considered by some as the greatest point guard of all time.
“You know why I love Steph Curry?” O'Neal said on WNBA star Angel Reese's “Unapologetically Angel” podcast. “Because I've never seen that before. If you saw Steph on the street, he ain't got the LeBron muscles, he's not 6'9″ [or] 6'10”. He looks like a perfectly normal office guy.”
"Because I’ve never seen that before. I've seen it a little bit... If you look at Steph on the street, he doesn’t have the LeBron [James] muscle. He’s not 6’9... He looks like a normal office guy."
Shaq on why he loves Curry 🙌
(via @angelreeseshow)pic.twitter.com/dZfAh0lTFC— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 26, 2024
While Curry may seem like a “normal” person to a man of O'Neal's stature, the 6-foot-3 guard has a more impressive physique than the 52-year-old made him seem. Curry reportedly can deadlift 400 pounds, a feat that makes him one of the strongest members of the Warriors in that particular lift.
Nonetheless, O'Neal has always been a supporter of Curry and one of the key figures who claim that he is the best point guard of all time. O'Neal has been in the league at the same time as Curry, Magic Johnson and John Stockton, the three players most put into that conversation.
Stephen Curry beginning 16th year with Warriors
O'Neal may believe that Curry is not the specimen that LeBron James is but the two-time MVP's strength and conditioning routine have made him one of the most durable players in the modern NBA. Curry has appeared in over 50 games in all but two of his professional years entering his 16th season with the Warriors.
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Along with the Warriors, Curry once again enters a new era in 2024-2025. His 16th season will be his first without career running mate Klay Thompson since his second year in the league after the sharpshooter joined the Dallas Mavericks in free agency.
Golden State is instead expected to replace Thompson's production with young budding stars Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody. The Warriors only had one selection in the 2024 NBA Draft, taking Quinten Post from Boston College with the 52nd overall pick.
Without Thompson, the new-look Warriors have been led by Buddy Hield in their first two games, who is averaging 24.5 points off the bench. Curry has struggled early on, shooting just 37 percent from the field, but is second on the team with 18.5 points per game through the first two.
