feature-image
feature-image

When it comes to being the king from deep, there is only one name. Stephen Curry made history after he beat Ray Allen’s tally of threes. Steph quickly became the face of the league with his unreal shooting prowess. However, according to Shaquille O’Neal, A Denver Nuggets legend was Curry before the Baby-Faced Assassin.

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

One of the reasons Curry is a fan favorite is his insane shot-making. Steph has pure skill and is an elite scorer. However, he is most known for his three-point shooting. But there was a Nuggets legend who walked the court much similar to Stephen Curry does.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

ADVERTISEMENT

High school scorer Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf constantly draws comparisons to Curry, and it seems even the NBA greats think the same.

ADVERTISEMENT

WATCH THIS STORY: A look back on Shaq’s illustrious sports career 

ADVERTISEMENT

In his podcast, Shaquille O’Neal spoke about Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and compared him to Stephen Curry.

ADVERTISEMENT

Shaquille O’Neal says there was another Stephen Curry

For the longest time, Shaq has said Curry is his favorite player in the NBA. However, the mention of Rauf had all the podcast guests in awe as they spoke about the Nuggets legend. Surprisingly, O’Neal made a shocking comment and said Rauf was Curry before the Chef.

The Big Diesel said: “He was Stephen Curry before Stephen Curry.”

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Rauf is regarded as the best talent to come out of Mississippi State. He attended LSU and further continued his impressive name. He averaged a whopping 30.2 points as a freshman. After declaring for the draft, Rauf had his struggles for a few years. But in 1993, he has his breakout season putting up nearly 20 points per game.

He quickly turned into an important piece for the Denver Nuggets as the Turkish started showing his flair. He even took part in the NBA dunk contest during the All-Star weekend.

ADVERTISEMENT

READ MOREShaquille O’Neal Tells Female Journalist Her Boyfriend Is Poor Before Bragging About His $400 Million Net Worth

Stephen Curry also said he saw the resemblance between him and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Curry admitted he learned a lot from his game as well. Do you think the Turkish player lived up to his true potential? Let us know your views in the comments below.

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Anuj Talwalkar

4,503 Articles

Anuj Talwalkar is a senior NBA Newsbreak specialist at EssentiallySports, trusted for his real-time coverage and fast, accurate updates on league developments. With five NBA seasons and two Olympics coverages under his belt, Anuj stands out as the go-to reporter for the NBA Matchday Newsdesk. As part of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, he continuously refines his hard reporting with grounded storytelling shaped by fan culture and court-level insights. An economics graduate and lifelong OKC fan since the Supersonics era, Anuj combines analytical thinking and a genuine passion for basketball. He’s recognized for both his live news coverage and feature writing, with aspirations to someday interview Russell Westbrook. Anuj’s reporting is marked by its reliability, depth, and strong connection to the pulse of the NBA.

Know more

Edited by

editor-image

Arunaditya Aima

ADVERTISEMENT