Shaq vs. Wemby: Analyzing O'Neal's Controversial Take on Victor Wembanyama
By Kirsten Cunanan September 16, 2024 10:37
Victor Wembanyama had quite the rookie season, finishing with awards to bag home. A giant on the court, he has made an impressive start in the NBA, living up to the fans' expectations for him as a rookie.
Despite these, NBA legend Shaq O’Neal believes Wembanyama cannot be considered a dominant player.
O’Neal’s Controversial Take
In an episode of The Pat McAfee Show, Shaq O’Neal shared that Wembanyama may not have been as dominant as most people think he is.
“Wemby is a great player. But I don’t really think you can be dominant when you shoot jumpers a lot. I think if he was an inside player at 7-foot-5, the answer would be yes. But when you shoot jumpers, you’re always going to go up and down.”
Wembanya’s “Response”
While others who receive criticism respond through social media posts or interviews, Wembanyama instead responds with his own statistics and achievements.
He averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.6 blocks in his rookie season. He was named All-Rookie First Team and All-Defensive First Team, placed second in the Defensive Player of the Year, and even took the Rookie of the Year award.
Wembanyama became the first player to register 85 points, 35 rebounds, and 10 blocks within his first five NBA games since O’Neal in 1992. He was also the first rookie to post 40+ points and 20+ rebounds in a single match since Shaq O’Neal in 1993.
What The Fans Think
While some agreed with Shaq's advice, most fans didn’t like what the NBA Hall of Famer said. Fans shared their opinions and some even called Shaq “bitter.”
Although Shaq has been known to be a very straightforward critic, fans think that his opinion was a product of fear. Being a 7-footer himself, fans online think Shaq is afraid of Wembanyama’s rise and possible rewrite of history.
Wembanyama still has a long career to go into and more improvements and expectations to fulfill this coming season. Whether or not he follows O’Neal’s “advice,” it’s safe to say Wembanyama should and would only get better from here.
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