Skip to main content

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

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Happened to the Rivalry Between LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony? - Bleacher Report

They were two young stars with unique and special abilities on the basketball court. They had recently played in a high-attention scholastic contest against each other. They were both selected in the same draft. The LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony rivalry was supposed to be the best individual rivalry since Magic and Bird. But while the relationship between Bird and Johnson is dramatized in a new Broadway play , Anthony and James will meet for the 15th time in their careers and do so without much fanfare. James and Anthony first met in a USA developmental camp in 2001 . Much like how Johnson raved about Bird after they played together on a college All-Star team playing in an international tournament, James couldn’t stop talking about Anthony. The two squared off in a high school showcase game the following year that pitted the player regarded as the best senior in the country (Anthony) against the one that was the best junior in the country (James), a game Anthony’s team wo...
Post a Comment
Read more

NBA Monday Morning Shootaround: LeBron James, The Hunger Games, and More - Bleacher Report

Welcome to the "Monday Morning Shootaround," Bleacher Report's recap of the weekend that was in the NBA. Along with getting you caught up on the weekend’s playoff action, we’ll give you a sneak preview of what could potentially be the greatest basketball book of all time, show you the best 70-year-old playground superstar ever, and tell you about a young star that just might choose religion over the fame and fortune of the NBA. The Opening Tip * ABC cameras caught LeBron James reading The Hunger Games before the Miami Heat played the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Shortly thereafter, the Miami Heat small forward proceeded to go into full Katniss Everdeen mode to the tune of 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists as the Heat pulled out a hard-fought 101-93 victory. After a slow start, Heat guard Dwyane Wade finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists of his own. But Sunday afternoon was all about James and his gaudy numbers, virtually all of which we...
Post a Comment
Read more

Breaking Down the Differences Between LeBron James and Kevin Durant - Bleacher Report

LeBron James and Kevin Durant are being coined as "the future of the NBA 's next generation." That is certainly true, but they aren't exactly on the same level. LeBron and Durant are two different players, who bring varying skills to different facets of the game. Instead of just comparing them in a "who's the best" fashion, let's take a minute and break down which player excels in each and every facet of the game of basketball. Ahead is a breakdown of the differences that exist between LeBron and Durant.  Scoring Ronald Martinez/Getty Images LeBron 2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 27.1 points, 53.1 FG%, 36.3 3P%, 77.1 FT% Durant 2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 28.0 points, 49.6 FG%, 38.7 3P%, 86.0 FT% Scoring is what Kevin Durant does. It's not only his specialty, it's also what makes him such a dangerous and elite player. With that being said, LeBron isn't exactly a slouch on the offensive side of the...
Post a Comment
Read more