Shaquille O’Neal is rarely subtle about how he views greatness. The NBA legend has often spoken very seriously about legacy and fiercely guards his own, calling himself the ‘most dominant player ever.’ Still, his latest comments on Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry might change some things.

Recently, we made a post on our Essentially Dunk Instagram page, where we compared Curry to O’Neal, especially as the guard inches closer to the top 10 scoring milestone. O’Neal sits at #10 with 28,596 points, and Curry is less than 2,200 away, currently #19 with 26,397 points.

We posed a simple question: “Is Steph officially more ‘unstoppable’ than Shaq ever was?” Now, the big man himself has weighed in.

Replying to our post, O’Neal simply stated, “That’s ok with me curry is the goat.”

The comment lands harder now than ever before, especially because earlier this month, during a promotional appearance for his Power Moves show on Netflix, O’Neal left Curry out of his top 10 players, instead listing the following legends:

• Michael Jordan
• Kobe Bryant
• LeBron James
• Magic Johnson
• Bill Russell
• Wilt Chamberlain
• Larry Bird
• Hakeem Olajuwon
• Tim Duncan
• Julius Erving

What made the Curry snub surprising was that O’Neal had previously stated, during an appearance on Inside the NBA last year, that Curry needed to be put in the GOAT conversation.

“I demand you fans to start putting Steph Curry in that greatest of all time conversation,” He said. “I played against Mike, played with Kobe, played against and with LeBron. They’re all great, but at some point, we’re going to have to put Steph Curry in that category.”

This wasn’t the only time O’Neal snubbed him, either. Just a few weeks ago, O’Neal was asked about his top five current NBA stars, but he failed to name more than four; he noticeably omitted Curry.

Shaquille O’Neal’s Stephen Curry Snub Came at an Awkward Business Moment

Shaquille O’Neal’s snub of Stephen Curry might be more important than people might realize. O’Neal isn’t just a media personality; he also serves in an ambassadorial and executive role with Reebok, the shoe brand that produced his own shoes. He’s helping guide the brand’s vision as it tries to become competitive again.

From a business standpoint, publicly snubbing Curry twice, while he’s navigating sneaker free agency following his split with Under Armour, is not the best business plan.

Whether intentional or not, it creates awkward optics, one that can prove hard to dispel if Reebok tries to pursue one of the most marketable athletes alive.

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Curry isn’t just another superstar, but perhaps the most defining basketball player of the last decade. He has global recognition, bridges the generational gap, and connects with casual fans in ways that even top athletes rarely do.

For a brand looking to come back into the spotlight, attaching itself to the Warriors star is an instant basketball revival.

That’s why Shaq’s comments feel kind of off, even if he was just saying what he really thinks. In today’s world, branding and influence are so tied together that it’s tough to judge someone’s on-court performance without the off-court noise creeping in.