No NBA Finals loser has gotten back to the big stage the very next year in about a decade, but Shaquille O’Neal believes the San Antonio Spurs will. O’Neal had been asked for his pick to win the Western Conference next season on The Big Podcast with Shaq at Fanatics Fest, and he is backing the Spurs.
“I’mma go with the Spurs over the Thunder,” O’Neal said. “… Because it’s a matchup problem with Victor Wembanyama when he plays the right way. So they are neck and neck. They’re very similar, but I think if Victor can dominate three out of four games in any playoff series, I’mma always go with the Spurs.”
Victor Wembanyama was outstanding when the 62-20 Spurs took down the 64-18 Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games in the Western Conference Finals in 2026. Wembanyama averaged 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.7 blocks per game in the series and was named Western Conference Finals MVP.
Wembanyama was on top of the world at that point. O’Neal had called the 22-year-old the first perfect big man in NBA history earlier in the postseason, and all was going well.
Unfortunately, it all went wrong in the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. The Spurs were the favorites going into the series but shot themselves in the foot one too many times and saw the Knicks emerge victorious in five games.
Now, as mentioned earlier, recent history will tell you the Spurs aren’t getting back to the NBA Finals in 2027. The last team to lose in the Finals and get back there the next year was the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018.
There is reason to believe, though, that the Spurs will end this run. For starters, the Western Conference is probably weaker than the East for the first time in a very long time.
The Thunder look to be the only obstacle in the Spurs’ way. San Antonio definitely had the upper hand in that matchup in 2025-26. The Spurs went 4-1 against the Thunder in the regular season and then, of course, beat them 4-3 in the Conference Finals.
Jalen Williams pointed to Wembanyama being the reason why the Thunder had trouble against the Spurs. They don’t really have an answer for him. You’d have thought Chet Holmgren would be, but he melted down in that series.
Now, it should be pointed out that Williams and Ajay Mitchell only played three of the seven games against the Spurs in the Conference Finals. Had they been healthy, that series could have gone differently.
So, the Thunder could potentially flip the script next season, but none of the other teams in the West look capable of taking down the Spurs. Had the Minnesota Timberwolves landed James, you might have given them a shot, but he went to the Philadelphia 76ers. As for the Los Angeles Lakers, his former team, some within the building itself believe they have taken a step back. You can just poke holes for many teams in the West.
So, it would be a real shocker if we don’t see the Spurs and Thunder battle it out in the Western Conference Finals again next year.
Shaquille O’Neal’s Advice To Victor Wembanyama After Finals Defeat
While O’Neal was very complimentary of Wembanyama at the start of the playoffs, he started to get critical once the Finals came around. He then had some advice for the Frenchman after they lost to the Knicks.
“I say this with respect about Wemby,” O’Neal said. “As good as he is, he’s going to need to get stronger. Because when you become a dominant big man, people are going to force, and a lot of times he couldn’t handle that… I don’t know what he’s going to do this summer, but he definitely needs to get in that weight room and get stronger.”
Well, it’s unclear if Wembanyama heard what O’Neal had to say, but he clearly has been in the gym.
Wemby has seriously been in the gym 🤯
(h/t @SpursCulture) pic.twitter.com/LVmrSLKzwa
— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) July 25, 2026
Wembanyama also took a $51 million pay cut this summer, signing a five-year, $252 million extension. He has been doing all the right things as he looks to win a championship.
Now, the one concern would be that the Spurs haven’t significantly upgraded their roster this offseason. Their only major acquisition has been Tobias Harris on a two-year, $31 million deal. Could having a relatively quiet summer cost them? Time will tell, but it’s unlikely.
