Shaq blames Stephen Curry, ‘new era of people’ for making NBA ‘boring’ and its viewership decline

On By Littum

There’s no doubt that Stephen Curry’s 3-point prowess changed basketball forever, but one NBA legend says it’s for the worse.

The NBA has seen a drop in viewership early in the 2024-2025 season, and Shaquille O’Neal thinks it’s because everyone is playing the same style of basketball and shooting the 3-pointer.

“It’s down because we’re looking at the same thing. Everybody’s running the same plays,” Shaq said on his podcast recently.

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Steph Curry vs Nets

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry shoots during warmups before a game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Jan. 22, 2023. (John Hefti/USA Today Sports)

O’Neal then mentioned Curry specifically.

“Steph Curry and those guys messed it up. I don’t mind Golden State shooting threes back then, but every team isn’t a 3-point shooter. So why does everybody have the same strategy? I think it makes games boring,” O’Neal said.

“The game has already been perfect ever since Naismith created it,” Shaq added. “This new era of people f—ed it up. … Golden State came in and changed it.

Steph Curry shoots

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors shoots a 3-pointer during a game against the LA Clippers on Oct. 27, 2024, at the Chase Center in San Francisco. (Jed Jacobsohn/NBAE via Getty Images)

HARRIS SUPPORTER STEPHEN CURRY HAS NO ‘WANT’ AFTER TRUMP’S VICTORY

“Everybody wants to be Steph Curry, but everybody’s not Steph Curry. And that’s why the ratings are down. But these guys, they’ve got to wake up, because if the ratings are down, the money is going to be down.”

Curry can become the first player in NBA history to make 4,000 3-pointers. Ray Allen, second all-time, made 2,973.

A look at the all-time 3-pointers list will show plenty of active players and many who have retired within the last 10 years. For example, Buddy Hield, who entered the league in 2016, is already 20th all-time.

Steph Curry looks at the court

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry dribbles against the Dallas Mavericks in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center. (Cary Edmondson/USA Today Sports)

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On the first night of the season, the Boston Celtics tied the NBA record by making 29 3-pointers in a game.

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