Shaq on Stephen Curry: 'No offense, but he looks like a little baby'
If you've tuned in to national TV broadcasts on TNT, you're probably well aware of Shaquille O'Neal's thoughts on the modern NBA. While he's never come out and said that it's hard to watch, O'Neal makes it very clear that he still has an affinity for big men -- a position that he fears is in danger of going extinct.
In advance of his attendance at the SMU Athletic Forum, O'Neal sat down with media on the college campus, where he shared his opinion on the current state of professional basketball. And for the most part, the Hall of Fame center isn't really a fan:
The game is different. It’s kind of difficult for me to watch. People always ask me, do I miss it? And the answer is no. Because I think that the big man is just gone. When I was coming in, it was the end of an era with great big men. I still had to battle my way with a lot of big men. But now you only see three or four. And they don’t even really play like big men.
It’s kind of hard for me to watch. I don’t really like watching guys pick and roll and shoot jumpers, that’s not what I like. I like elbows to the face, people crying, people complaining, guys throwing ‘bows. You don’t really see that anymore.
There's one player who does pique O'Neal's curiosity, however, and given his appreciation for post play, it comes as something of a surprise. The big man is a fan of Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, even if he says that the MVP "looks like a little baby:"
I like watching Steph Curry. He’s something that I haven’t really seen. I really haven’t seen a small guard dominate like he did. You know, Nash did it every now and then, but Steph Curry, like, took over the game. If you look at him, I saw him a couple weeks ago in New York, and no offense to him, but he looks like a little baby. He has no arm muscles, no chest muscles.
O'Neal shared his view on the DeAndre Jordan-Dallas Mavericks saga from this past summer, predicting that Dallas will bust out the "Hack-A-Jordan" to embarrass the Clippers center in the season-opening game between the two teams. Lastly, O'Neal went on to discuss the joys of being a father. He said that he's also a fan of Anthony Davis, who's the player he tells his son to watch and emulate.
It's solid advice, even if it's coming from a legend who isn't a huge fan of the way the game is played these days.
