Shaquille O'Neal roasted for claiming Steph Curry's game style is hurting NBA viewership

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: It’s safe to assume Shaquille O’Neal is not a fan of the “new era of humans” who have been bringing in a change to the NBA. 

While Stephen Curry is creating history with his famed 3-point shooters, it can be said that O’Neal, commonly known as Shaq, is not impressed that everyone is trying the same. 

The 52-year-old NBA legend recently took to his podcast 'The Big Podcast with Shaq' to express that he finds the current style of the NBA to be boring, and to some extent, he blames the Golden State’s point guard for it.

Shaquille O’Neal blames Stephen Curry for making basketball ‘boring’

While Stephen Curry’s famed 3-point prowess has changed the current style of playing, Shaquille O’Neal is not a fan.

Moreover, as the NBA witnessed a decline in viewership in the early matches of the 2024-25 season, the veteran basketball analyst feels it is because everyone now plays the same game, and just tries to score the 3-pointer mimicking Curry. 

Shaq said in his podcast, "It’s down because we’re looking at the same thing. Everybody is running the same plays," before specifically mentioning Curry. 

He continued, "Steph Curry and those guys messed it up. I don’t mind Golden State back in the day shooting threes, but every team isn’t a 3-point shooter. So, why everybody has the same strategy? I think it makes the game boring.”

"The game has already been perfect ever since Naismith created it," Shaq went on, before firing, "This new era of humans f****d it up. … Golden State came in and changed it.

He even suggested that since everyone is now trying to emulate Curry, monotony is creeping in. 

"Everybody wants to be Steph Curry, but everybody’s not Steph Curry. And that’s why viewership is down,” claimed the former NBA star. 

He also added with a touch of caution, “But these dudes, they need to wake up because if viewership is down, the money is gonna come down."

Per Fox News, Curry - who is most responsible for popularizing the 3-pointers - could be the first NBA player to touch the elusive 4000 mark. 

Internet corrects Shaquille O'Neal, saying basketball is just 'evolving'

The internet, nevertheless, begged to disagree with Shaquille O'Neal for his take on Stephen Curry being responsible for making the NBA boring. 

One of the fans clapped back, "Shaq blaming Steph for the NBA’s ‘boredom’ is like blaming Einstein for making physics too hard. Maybe it’s not Steph’s threes, but the fact that half the league now treats defense like a polite suggestion. Also, if dominance is boring, someone should check Shaq’s highlight reel… pot, meet kettle."

"All about the points. Oh yeah … and $$$," said someone else.

Another fan, meanwhile, wrote, "Not sure how I feel about this."

"Shaq’s take is bold—Steph’s impact reshaped the game, but it’s still evolving," another fan defended Curry's game.

Someone else added, "Sounds like Shaq's forgetting about the thrill of a perfectly-timed 3-pointer. The game's still exciting, it's just evolved! 🏀."

Another fan chimed in, "Shaq’s got a point! The game’s changed, but evolution isn’t always boring – it’s just different. Maybe it’s time to embrace the new era and find a balance between the past and future."

"Wow, Shaq! I think Steph's skills make the game exciting, but I get that everyone misses the old-school vibe. Maybe it's just a different kind of fun now? Times change, but basketball's still got heart! 🏀," said another die-hard basketball fan.

Meanwhile, another fan commented on YouTube, "It’s down because it’s so political."

Another social media user, however, agreed with O'Neal, saying, "That’s the truth."

"Current NBA reminds me of the all star games from 90s. its a joke. no defense, 1 0n 1 and endless 3 pointers. boring," added another. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.