What is the one thing that successful NBA players have in common? Be it LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, or Kevin Durant, all had strong mothers supporting and cheering them on every step of the way. While Shaq has often credited his mother Lucille for molding him into the person he became, this time around he had special praise reserved for Stephen Curry’s mother, Sonya Curry.

Steph has often said that he got his toughness and grittiness from his mother. Anyone acquainted with Sonya Curry’s antics would wholeheartedly agree that the loud, energetic woman in the stands has all that and more. So, it was only fitting that she got credit for her contribution in gifting the world one of the greatest shooters ever.

Sonya and Lucille are co-hosts for the show  The two also bring other celebrity parents on their show and share insights into how it watching their children grow into larger-than-life personalities and global stars. The show also offers fans a peak of what it took for their mothers to go from a certain place in their journey and reach the status they have today.

On the 25 August edition of “Raising Fame”, co-hosted by Sonya and Lucille, Shaq joined the two mothers in the discussion, and as we moved toward the end of the episode, the 4-time NBA Champion took a moment to show his appreciation for Sonya Curry as a mother.

“I want to commend you. Your kids are fabulous. Especially my favorite player. I love and respect him because our stories are kinda similar, but not really. I came in, I had a lot of hype. He had a little bit of hype but you know he earned everything that he’s getting… So I want to commend you and Dell for doing a beautiful job. I met all your kids, they’re perfect, they’re fabulous,” the ‘Big Diesel’ said to Sonya.

The 4x champion was certainly right about Steph Curry not coming in without much hype. While not on the same scale as Bronny James, a young Curry had to face his fair share of ridicule because his father, Dell Curry, was an NBA player.

His modest height meant he didn’t attract the attention of major colleges. He enrolled at the relatively smaller Davidson College in North Carolina and soon made Division I college teams who passed him over due to his size, regret their decision. In his first year at Davidson in 2006/07, he surpassed the program’s all-time points record by a freshman, ending the year with 730 points. In his sophomore year, he would lead Davidson to the Elite Eight and displayed a knack for 3-pointers. In 2009, he was picked by the Warriors and was part of a young core that would go on to become a dynasty.

Early in his career, the now 35-year-old naturally being an introvert did not help his case much, either. But he overcame all of that to become a globally recognized and respected athlete. And who paved the way for that? None other than his parents, with his mother Sonya playing a key role.

In 2013, he told SF Gate, that despite his father being an NBA player, he believed a lot of his abilities were due to his mother. “A lot of people say whatever defensive abilities I have, I get from her.” 

“She’s a strong woman. Growing up in an NBA household, with my dad being on the road a lot, she did a great job with me and my siblings. She deserves a lot of credit for how we turned out.” 

When Curry was starting he felt the pressure of following his father into the NBA. During a travel-team tournament in Las Vegas, Division I college coaches were present to watch a young Curry and others in action. But the occasion got to him and he had a bad game. He came back to the hotel room upset and thinking he ruined his chances. It was there he found his mother by his side and her words gave him belief.

“She told me to keep my head up and keep working, that I might not see it now but that someone is watching how I handle the situation,” Stephen said. “She said to be patient and keep my eyes open and it will be clear as day where I’m supposed to be.” Davidson offered him a scholarship and he went there.

Sonya also took the step of taking her son and his siblings to a Montessori school she started. This inculcated independence and accountability in him and Steph credits that early education for instilling confidence in him. It was not only the moral support Curry got from his mother, who herself was a three-sport athlete in high school and played volleyball at Virginia Tech.

The Warriors star was in middle school when he was going through a bad patch as a poor runner. To fix this, Sonya put him through a two-week boot camp to improve his form. Curry admitted he “hated it, but it taught me work ethic.”

Hence, Shaq giving Sonya Curry her flowers is no surprise, given how she has raised her children with discipline and encouraged them to take on challenges. Apart from the praise and appreciation of her strength as a mother, Shaq also made a promise to Sonya.

Shaq promises to protect Stephen Curry

O’Neal had mentioned something else while he was praising Sonya Curry for her wondrous work in raising the Curry kids. He talked about how Curry earned his reputation saying, “ That’s why I love watching him play. I will always protect him and I’ll always be a big brother.”

Shaq has often been full of praise for Steph Curry. Last year in December during an episode of NBA on TNT he said that Curry is already the greatest shooter of all time, but it’s high time he is part of another conversation.

“I know he’s the greatest shooter of all time, but I wonder if (Curry) is already in the conversation for being the greatest player ever. O’Neal went on to add, “Of course, that’s why he’s my favorite player to watch. I’ve played 20 years, I’ve won championships…but I haven’t seen anybody like him.” 

We have also heard Shaq humorously refer to himself as “Black Steph Curry,” saying that he feels like the Warriors star if he manages to shoot one 3-pointer out of his many tries at the gym. This should really tell us the high regard and affection O’Neal has for Stephen Curry and his family.