Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Former Los Angeles Lakers star big man Shaquille O’Neal caused drama when he shared an Instagram post of Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry on a basketball Mount Rushmore alongside Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
O’Neal often shares posts of this nature — and it doesn’t necessarily mean he agrees with them — but it does make for interesting conversations.
Across 20 appearances with the Warriors so far during the 2023-24 regular season, Curry is averaging 29.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the floor and 43.2 percent from behind the 3-point arc.
For perspective on just how prolific of a scorer Curry has been for Golden State this season, only six players — Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, De’Aaron Fox, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — are averaging more points per game.
But while Curry has had an impressive season to this point, his contributions haven’t led to a lot of collective success for the Warriors. At 10-12, Golden State only has the 11th-best record in the Western Conference, meaning the team would not qualify for the playoffs or even the play-in tournament if the regular season came to an end today.
Curry and the Warriors were defeated by Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder in their most recent game on Friday. The 35-year-old dropped 34 points, six rebounds, three assists and one steal in the Warriors’ overtime loss. He also knocked down six 3-pointers.
Conversely, Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder in scoring, as he scored a game-high 38 points on 30 shot attempts. Plus, he grabbed five rebounds, dished out five assists and came up with five steals.
The Warriors will hope to get back in the win column when they take on the Phoenix Suns on the road on Dec. 12. The Suns own a respectable 12-10 record — the seventh-best record in the Western Conference right now — but haven’t played their best basketball of late, as they have lost their last two games.
It’s arguable whether Curry is worthy of a basketball Mount Rushmore nod. But what’s not arguable is that he is one of the best point guards in NBA history and one of the best players of his generation.
