In a recent episode of the ‘BIG’ podcast, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal clarified his stance on Victor Wembanyama, who he recently compared to backup center Bol Bol. While Shaq maintains that the skill set is the same between the players, he pointed out their work ethic and effort level as what ultimately differentiates them the most.
“Wemby wants it more,” said Shaq. “Bol Bol is lazy as f*ck. Bol Bol can do everything Wemby can do and even a little better: dribble, behind the back, shoot the three, nice handle, floater game… he’s just lazy. So I stand by my statement that Bol Bol was the first 7’5″ guy to have those skills. I’m not saying that Bol Bol is better, I’m just saying he was the first 7’5″ guy to do that.”
Like Wembanyama, Bol Bol is a unicorn on the court as a freakishly tall “big man” who can dribble and run the floor with the ball in his hands. Unlike Wembanyama, Bol isn’t consistent when it comes to hitting shots and he’s a liability defensively due to his limited mobility. But whether you like Bol Bol or not, comparing him to a player like Victor Wembanyama is pretty bold and it’s no surprise that so many fans have a problem with it.
NBA Fans Disagree With Shaq
Objectively, Shaq isn’t completely wrong with his take. Bol Bol does have a very similar skill set to Wembanyama and he was drafted first as a member of the 2019 draft class. But the guy just isn’t talented enough to be a difference-maker on the court and he’s not in the same stratosphere as Wemby, who is currently on pace to have one of the best rookie seasons ever (statistically).
In the comments, fans blitzed O’Neal for his take and shot down any attempts to build up his argument.
Comparing Bol Bol to Wemby in 2024
pic.twitter.com/FcpW22HeL3
— Crinkle 🍟 (@LACrinkle) January 24, 2024
Bol is out of the rotation in Phoenix, but somehow Shaq still finds ways to bring him up in comparison to one of the best young players in the league.
Bro has to stop with the Bol Bol agenda. The dude just didn’t live up to the expectations unfortunately
— Aidan LaPorta (@AidanLaPorta69) January 24, 2024
Shaq isn’t the type of guy to take back his statements, but he may want to consider a retraction in this case, considering how much people dislike his opinion on this matter.
The Bol Bol fan club is ridiculous. What has he done to warrant literally any hype?
— JWAC (@JwacReactions) January 24, 2024
Only time will tell how long Shaq defends this take but it’s far from the craziest thing he’s said. As a 4x champion and NBA Hall of Famer, O’Neal is more than qualified to share his views on the game today and there will always be people willing and ready to listen.
Shaq Is A Fan Of Victor Wembanyama
Despite how it may sound, Shaquille O’Neal has actually been pro-Wembanyama since he first started making waves last year. Before Victor even played in his first NBA game, O’Neal welcomed him to the ‘big man alliance’ and tagged him as the league’s next great big man. He also referred to Wemby as a “7-foot-four Kevin Durant,” lauding his ability to shoot and guard at every position.
Clearly, Shaquille O’Neal is a believer in Wembanyama even if he doesn’t see his game as anything new or unprecedented. Over time, we will see just how right (or wrong) everyone was about Victo, but all signs point to him having a dominant career in the NBA, and he’s already off to a great start with averages of 20.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and a league-high 3.2 blocks per game on 46% shooting.
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