Shaquille O’Neal has never been one to shy away from sharing his opinions. As a player, he dominated the NBA, and now as an analyst, Shaq continues to speak his mind freely. In a recent segment, he shared his thoughts on San Antonio Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama, making it clear how he views the young star’s game.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Shaq was asked what it would take for Wembanyama to become a dominant force in the league. O’Neal didn’t hold back, explaining why he doesn’t see Wembanyama as a dominant player just yet.
“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,” O’Neal said.
Despite his critique, Shaq wished Wembanyama the best and acknowledged the young star’s potential to become a prominent player in the NBA. “He’s a fine player, and I wish him well. I’m just glad, after not being in the league for so long, to still have my name in that category (dominant),” O’Neal added.
Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks. Justin Ford/Getty Images
Shaq predicts a tough start for the Lakers
In the same appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, O’Neal also weighed in on how he thinks the Los Angeles Lakers will perform under new head coach JJ Redick. True to form, Shaq didn’t sugarcoat his response.
“I think they’re going to have a rough start, personally,” Shaq said. “LeBron and AD will do a great job of keeping everyone in line, but I’ve always said that if you truly respect your coach, you’ll go out and play hard for them.”
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O’Neal raised concerns about whether the Lakers’ players would fully buy into Redick’s system, especially given that it’s his first year as head coach. “My question is: Will the antennas of the players be up when JJ Redick talks? We don’t know, but we’ll see,” he added.
Shaq names the worst player in the NBA
In a separate interview with Complex, Shaq was asked who he believed to be the worst player in NBA history. Without hesitation, he named Rudy Gobert, while also taking a shot at Ben Simmons.
“If you sign a contract for $250 million, show me $250 million. There’s a reason why I walk funny, why I can’t turn my neck, and why I’m in pain,” O’Neal said, referencing his own career. “I played for about $120 million. Guys like [Gobert] are messing up the system. They’re making all this money and can’t f— play.”
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Shaq made it clear that he has little respect for players who don’t live up to their hefty contracts. “People think I’m hating, but these are facts. You’ve got teachers, firemen, doctors who have real jobs and don’t get paid s—,” O’Neal concluded, taking a swipe at overpaid, underperforming players.
