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Did LeBron James Subtly Validate Shaquille O’Neal’s Claim on Stephen Curry’s Status?

Published 01/28/2024, 6:30 AM EST

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Stephen Curry‘s greatness is often taken for granted. Despite NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal pushing for Curry to be added to the GOAT debate, the media often found it difficult to go down that line. However, after Curry’s stunning performance against the Los Angeles Lakers last night, King James himself has given the ultimate praise to the 4x NBA champion.

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors had one of the best games of the year on Saturday night. With Curry leading all players in scoring in the double-overtime game, LeBron James gave the Chef his flowers when talking about the dominance of the baby-faced assassin. “It’s something I’ll be able to talk about with my grandkids; talk about being able to compete with one of the greatest players to ever play the game,” LeBron said when asked what it was like to play against Curry.

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James is currently the oldest player in the NBA and the only player in real contention for GOAT status. However, Curry is 35 years old, an age when most stars have fallen off, and is still playing as one of the best in the league, as he just dropped 46 points against the Lakers.

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But has he done enough to be considered the greatest player ever? NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal certainly believes that Curry should be in the conversation. Shaq had said, “I’m just wondering, because [Curry] has been consistently the best shooter his whole career, I’m wondering if it’s time to put him as the best player of all time.” Now, with LeBron’s comments on Curry being one of the best ever, it might be time to start that conversation for real.

Has Stephen Curry done enough to be in the GOAT debate?

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It is extremely difficult to be in contention for the title of the greatest player ever. Michael Jordan has had the majority of the support over the past few decades. However, recently, LeBron James has come close and even surpassed Jordan, according to some. This was mostly because of the sheer numbers that LeBron has put up over the years, which have elevated him to the top of almost all statistics in the NBA.

USA Today via Reuters

Curry, on the other hand, doesn’t have the numbers like the rest of them. He has won four championships but only 1 Finals MVP. He also pales in comparison when it comes to regular season MVP awards, but at the same time, Curry is the one and only unanimous MVP award winner.

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With Stephen Curry showing no signs of slowing down, only time will tell the real story of where Curry will end up when it’s all said and done. Do you think Stephen Curry deserves to be in the GOAT debate? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Written by:

Rijin Varghese

687Articles

One take at a time

I did not follow the traditional route to become a journalist, but my love for basketball and writing has brought me here. Seeing LeBron James? Cleveland Cavaliers make the iconic comeback from a 1-3 deficit in 2016 changed everything for a young engineering aspirant within me. Rather than simply looking at the game, I love to analyze how each player contributes to a team using BPM (Box Plus Minus) and other advanced metrics.
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Edited by:

Pragya Vashisth