Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal has enormous praise for Spurs center Victor Wembanyama.
From one big man to another, Shaq gave Wemby some major love on “Inside the NBA” while talking with his castmates Tuesday, April 28.
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“I think Wemby is the first perfect big man that’s ever (been) created. Can shoot, free throws, play defense, play offense, he’s a great team player,” Shaq said. “I’m happy for the Spurs. Happy for Wemby. For me, he’s a joy to watch.”
Shaq isn’t known for handing out compliments to the current batch of NBA bigs, having indicated they are soft and abandoning the paint to shoot 3-pointers. But Wemby is built differently, and Shaq realizes that.
The four-time NBA champion also said Wembanyama is closing in on the top spot among NBA big men.
“In two years, he will be right next to Jokic (Denver’s Nikola Jokic) as the best big in the league,” Shaq said. “Right now, he’s No. 2 but not far behind. He’s playing excellent basketball and I’m happy for the young fella.”
Wembanyama is up for the 2025-26 NBA MVP award along with Jokic and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Now in this third season, Wembanyama helped the Spurs beat the Trail Blazers 4-1 in the first round. He averaged 21.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game in that series.
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