Victor Wembanyama had a dominant performance against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. With an impressive display to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 125-92 win, Wembanyama earned plenty of praise. However, NBA legend and ESPN analyst Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t too impressed by the 21-year-old’s production.
For context, the panel of “Inside the NBA” was debating where Wembanyama and O’Neal would place in a hypothetical draft of the greatest big men in the NBA. Given that Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith both agreed that O’Neal would be “sliding down the list”, O’Neal simply defended himself against Barkley’s and Smith’s playful banter.
“You know what’s crazy about y’all? I’m not known for defense.” O’Neal said. “Listen, he can score all he wants. I’m not known for defense. You know what I’m known for eating? French fries and French toast.”
To further shed light on how brilliant Wembanyama’s performance was, ESPN presented a niche stat. With 40 points, 15 rebounds, and zero turnovers, the 21-year-old joined a short list that included Moses Malone and Anthony Davis, both of whom had accomplished this feat twice, along with Shaquille O’Neal, who had achieved this stat line thrice.
Although O’Neal attempted to defend his case by pointing to the stats, both Barkley and Smith continued to poke fun at the legendary big man on how the Spurs’ center would dominate against him.
The four-time NBA champion may be unimpressed with Victor Wembanyama’s performance, but it is hard to overlook how special it was. While being an unstoppable force on offense, the 21-year-old also anchored San Antonio’s defense, posting three blocks and a steal. He also recorded a +/- of +31, the highest of any player on the floor Wednesday night.
The former Rookie Of The Year’s development over the offseason has been tangible. The results of his grueling summer training have been put on full display. With the potential to grow into an even more formidable player, Wembanyama has sent out a legitimate warning to the rest of the league.
Would Victor Wembanyama Beat Shaquille O’Neal?
Since the panel of “Inside the NBA” was debating the outcome of a potential showdown between O’Neal and Wembanyama, it is worth examining what such a matchup might look like.
O’Neal has been viewed as the dominant player in NBA history. With a unique blend of strength, athleticism, agility, and finesse, the 15-time All-Star was undoubtedly one of the best to ever do it.
At 21, Wembanyama doesn’t boast O’Neal’s accolades yet. But in his brief NBA career, the young center has showcased enough potential and skill to be viewed as one of the league’s elite players.
In a one-on-one matchup, Wembanyama might hold the upper hand in some areas. His offensive versatility and defensive flexibility could pose a challenge to O’Neal. But considering how the four-time champion handled himself against taller opponents such as Yao Ming in his prime, there is enough evidence to suggest that O’Neal would be nearly unstoppable with the ball in his hands.
