Shaquille O’Neal isn’t shy when it comes to sharing his thoughts on the NBA, and this time he weighed in on a timeless debate: how much a superstar’s supporting cast impacts their ability to win championships. During a recent conversation, O’Neal compared three of the game’s most iconic talents—Stephen Curry, Tracy McGrady, and Vince Carter—and made it clear who he believes would have helped him win the most titles.
Reflecting on some of the NBA’s greatest “what if” scenarios, Shaq responded to recent comments from McGrady, who admitted he never felt fully supported during his prime years. O’Neal not only agreed but doubled down with bold statements of his own, opening the door to a conversation about how many rings he might’ve collected with different stars by his side.
“But see, you gotta understand, when T-Mac was out there by himself, he didn’t really have room to operate,” Shaq explained. “Our guy had room because I had three people on me, right? You got three people on me.”
“T-Mac was getting double-, triple-, even quadruple-teamed. And you know, Kenny Smith always says Kobe didn’t get double- and triple-teamed a lot—he was free to roam and do his thing. So what T-Mac said, I believe it’s true. T-Mac was a bad boy.”
McGrady’s career remains one of the NBA’s great “what could have been” stories. Largely due to a lack of team support and injuries, he never made it past the first round of the playoffs until the very end of his career. But O’Neal made clear that McGrady’s individual talent was never in question—and with the right help, he could have reached legendary heights.
“So I agree with what T-Mac said,” Shaq continued. “Probably get a lot of flack, but I always say to myself—I think I could’ve got three in a row with T-Mac. I think I could’ve got two with Vince. Oh, I know I’d get six with Steph.”
O’Neal’s confidence is nothing new, but the specifics of his hypothetical championship haul grabbed attention. He believes a prime pairing with McGrady could have mirrored his iconic three-peat with Kobe Bryant from 2000 to 2002. As for Vince Carter, O’Neal claimed two rings would’ve been well within reach, praising the athleticism and scoring power Carter brought to the court.
But it was his statement about Stephen Curry that turned heads. Imagining what it would have been like to share the floor with the greatest shooter of all time, Shaq didn’t hesitate: six titles. Given how Curry’s gravity reshapes defenses, it’s hard to disagree. Defenders would have faced a nightmare scenario: leave Curry open and get burned, or double Shaq and allow Curry to exploit the space.
That duo—Curry and Shaq—might have been unstoppable. It’s the kind of pairing that could’ve forced the league to change the rules. With Curry stretching the floor and O’Neal dominating the paint, it’s no stretch to say they’d have redefined how the game was played—and potentially broken the sport in the process.
As Shaq sees it, elite scorers thrive when paired with dominant interior forces. If those scorers also happen to be playmakers like McGrady, athletic phenoms like Carter, or tactical revolutionaries like Curry, then NBA championship banners are all but guaranteed.