Shaq explains his self-proclaimed moniker of ‘Black Steph Curry’
Besides winning championships and dominating the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal and Steph Curry did something few have: force 29 other teams to build rosters just to stop them.
And there couldn’t be two more polarizing playing styles that teams had to scout. One backed down two, sometimes three, helpless defenders in the paint and had his way with them. The other runs around screens and shoots in a jiffy or pulls up from half court to bury his opponents.
Yet, O’Neal calls himself “Black Steph Curry” due to his affinity and respect for the Warriors star. During his recent appearance on “The Draymond Green Show,” O’Neal explained the moniker while expressing his envy for modern-day NBA big men who shoot threes.
“I’m jealous of them,” O’Neal said of his young big-men peers. “I wish I could step out and shoot the three, brother. You know why I call myself the ‘Black Steph Curry?’ Because if I go to the gym and miss 190 f—— threes, but [when I] make one, I’m the ‘Black Steph Curry.’ That s— f—— feel good to step out and shoot that three, bro.”
While the smaller version of O’Neal in Orlando sprinted up and down the court, the Hall of Famer was pigeonholed as a post-player with no semblance of a jump shot. However, had he played in today’s era, O’Neal is convinced he’d be a three-level scorer.
“When I’m jealous, I’m not envious,” he clarified. “I’m jealous to f—— motivate me. So every now and then, I go out there and try to Klay Thompson my s—. I just go out there and try to shoot. I’m jealous of them because I wish I was allowed to do that. Back then, every now and then, I would take it coast-to-coast, and the coach would look at me crazy. (Today’s bigs) are allowed to do it ‘Neal attempted only 22 threes through his 19 seasons in the NBA. The only one he drained was against the Bucks in Feb. 1996 when he, then with the Magic, made a buzzer-beater at the end of the first quarter.
