NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has made no secret of his respect for the game of 2x NBA MVP Steph Curry, frequently referring to Curry as his “favorite player.” It’s always been an interesting pairing, because it begs the question: Is there a player in today’s NBA who plays more unlike prime Shaq than Curry does? As they say, sometimes opposites attract.
O’Neal is not known, to put it mildly, for his shooting touch. The big fella is a lot more famous for being the type of player to touch you up in the lane.
Indeed, in his long NBA career, O’Neal attempted a mere 22 3-point shots, a figure Curry reaches every couple of games. Another difference? O’Neal was 1-for-22, whereas Curry tends to splash ’em down.
But O’Neal still likes to show off his shooting touch when he gets the chance, and when the touch goes right, O’Neal has long been fond of referring to himself as the “Black Steph Curry.” See this classic moment on the set of the Kyrie Irving film Uncle Drew in 2017.
O’Neal did it again this week, as the NBA on TNT crew had a little fun with video game versions of O’Neal playing against his commentary peer, WNBA legend Candace Parker. When Digital Shaq makes his jumper, he lets everybody know: “The Black Steph Curry is back,” O’Neal pronounces. Note: Parker isn’t bothered.
