Shaquille O'Neal Says Warriors' Stephen Curry Is Best Basketball Player in the World

Basketball Hall of Famer and NBA on TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal paid Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry the ultimate compliment Thursday.

Speaking on The Big Podcast (h/t HoopsHype) with TNT colleague Kenny Smith, Shaq referred to Curry as the "best player in the world."

O'Neal explained his rationale behind the declaration, noting that greatness is primarily measured by winning championships:

"Yeah, by far. Hell yeah. As Kenny Smith would tell you, you can have a category, but the real ones are recognized by the championships that you have. Nobody plays better than Steph Curry. He's a tough shot-taker, tough shot-maker. I like where he's brought his career."

Shaq has long spoken highly of Curry. A couple of months ago, he put Steph among the top 10 players in NBA history and called him the greatest shooter of all time.

Thirteen years into his career, Curry is the all-time NBA leader in three-pointers made with 3,117. He also boasts career averages of 24.3 points, 6.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 three-pointers made and 1.7 steals per game.

Curry is an eight-time All-Star and two-time NBA MVP, but most importantly, he has won four NBA championships, and he finally became an NBA Finals MVP last season when the Dubs took down the Boston Celtics.

Strong arguments can be made for the likes of Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Kevin Durant as the best player in the game today, but it is tough to argue against Curry averaging 27.4 points per game in the playoffs en route to a championship last season.

Shaq is a four-time NBA champion and three-time NBA Finals MVP in his own right, and Curry is just one title away from surpassing one of the most decorated champions in NBA history.