Victor Wembanyama has set the NBA alight by living up to the incredible hype that preceded him. While there’s a lot of room for improvement, it’s clear to anyone who wants to see that Wembanyama is a generational prospect we haven’t seen before. Shaquille O’Neal would disagree with that assessment, as he did with Avery Johnson on Instagram.
Avery Johnson: “Wemby’s a once-in-a-lifetime talent with stats even better than LeBron’s rookie year. There’s no comparing Victor Wembanyama to Bol Bol. Come on, Shaq. I know where to find you.”
Shaquille O’Neal: “Bol was the first 7’4 guy with handle and shooting ability from long range. Just like I was the first dominant big man in San Antonio. Not David Robinson or Tim Duncan.”
We can first tackle Shaq’s comments about being the first dominant big man in San Antonio. O’Neal moved to San Antonio as a teenager and helped Robert G. Cole High School to a 68–1 record over two years, and helped the team win the state championship during his senior year. He set a state record for rebounds as well, emerging as one of the greatest high school athletes from San Antonio.
San Antonio drafted David Robinson the summer Shaq left the state to go to college in Louisiana, hence the title of the ‘first dominant big man’ in San Antonio’. Shaq preceded Robinson and Tim Duncan, so I guess the title does belong to him.
When it comes to the Wembanyama and Bol debate, it’s something we have been through multiple times before in recent times. Yes, Bol theoretically can play as Wembanyama, but we haven’t seen any tangible sample size that shows Bol can impact the game at the level Wemby already has.
Victor Wembanyama Has Definitively Outshined Bol Bol
Just because Bol can play like Wemby doesn’t mean we have ever seen him play at this level. Over his career, Bol has averaged 6.0 points and 3.6 rebounds across three teams after being drafted in 2019. He has had multiple chances to shine, including his current Phoenix Suns’ team needing someone who can step up and earn a rotational spot. He doesn’t impact the game defensively like Wembanyama and cannot score like him either.
Wembanyama is averaging 18.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks this season, proving to be a two-way terror already. His shooting efficiency will take some time to rectify itself, but the talent he has as a scorer is no longer in question. He may lose Rookie of the Year to Chet Holmgren, but Wembanyama’s future in the NBA as a superstar seems all but secure. Bol’s future in the NBA isn’t even secure enough to guarantee a spot on a team next season.
Shaq has been a believer in Bol for a long time but he needs to realize that Bol won’t be able to scale the heights Wemby has. He’s been in three different situations and fell out of the rotation in each one. Wembanyama is just scratching the surface of his potential and is already miles better than Bol has ever been in his young NBA career.
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