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Shaquille O'Neal told why LeBron James is to blame for the NBA's decline and not Steph Curry


Published 15:37 19 Nov 2024 GMT

Steph Curry is widely considered to be the greatest shooter in NBA history.

The Golden State Warriors icon holds the record for the most three-pointers made in the league's history and his highlight reel includes dozens of jaw-dropping, game-winning shots from long distance.

It's an approach that has proven to be hugely successful for Curry, too. The 36-year-old point guard has won four NBA titles, two Most Valuable Player awards and one Finals MVP.

But Curry is often blamed for what many observers perceive to be an unattractive style of play that has developed in the NBA in recent years.

LeBron James of the Miami Heat guarded by Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics

Curry's shooting prowess has inspired copycats around the league, players and teams who aim to shoot long-range efforts with a high frequency but who do not possess the same level of skill as the Warriors' three-point king.

To many, the prevalence of three-point shots is off-putting and a detriment to the NBA as a product.

But when asked about whether he thinks Curry has impacted the game in a negative way due to his influence on the modern playing style, one of LeBron James' former team-mates instead cited the Los Angeles Lakers icon as a bigger reason for the NBA's declining entertainment factor.

Iman Shumpert, whose 10-year NBA career included a spell alongside James with the Cavaliers as well as stops with the New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets, believes James' decision to join the Miami Heat in 2010 – where he teamed up with fellow All-Stars Dywane Wade and Chris Bosh to form a 'big three' – was more damaging to the NBA than Curry's influence on three-point shooting.

"Has Steph [Curry] ruined the game? Because I also was asked this and I said 'the person who ruined all of this was [LeBron James]," Shumpert said during a recent appearance on Shaquille O'Neal's podcast, The Big Pod with Shaq.

"[LeBron James] went to Miami [Heat]. Now everybody thinking like it's cool, y'all could team up. Now you create the three-headed snake out of Steph Curry now. Once they beat us [Cleveland Cavaliers], the two-pointer was gone. If you really break it down. It's our fault. If we didn't lose that first championship, who's shooting threes?"

Featured Image Credit: Getty Images

Topics: Lebron James, Steph Curry , NBA, Basketball, LA Lakers

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