Victor Wembanyama has charted an impressive course with the San Antonio Spurs The French-American citizen has become one of the most recognizable basketball players in the world and a favorite for All-NBA First Team honors in the very near future of his career.

Wembanyama is considered a new type of basketball player. His impressive height (2.23 m) makes him one of the most dominant players in the current NBA. Shaquille O’Neal does not necessarily agree with this statement, given his recent comments.

“Wemby is a great player, but I don’t really think you can be dominant when you shoot a lot,” O’Neal said. “I think if he was a 7-foot-5 inside player, but when you shoot a lot, you’re always going to go up and down, coach would tell you that.

“But he’s a good player, I wish him well, and you know I’m just happy after being out of the league for so long to still be in that category,” O’Neal added. The Lakers legend also took aim at Wilt Chamberlain, offering a surprising statistical comparison that might make fans of the other Lakers great reconsider their comparisons to the man known as “The Big Aristotle.”

O’Neal’s outburst came at a time of great change. The Keldon Johnson situation with San Antonio. The Spurs Notes on NBA 2K25 have been examined.

Will Wembanyama exceed O’Neal’s expectations? It all depends on how you define dominance in his performances.

Spurs’ Wembanyama set to dominate?

France power forward Victor Wembanyama (32) shoots against United States center Anthony Davis (14) in the second half of the men's basketball gold medal match at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games at Accor Arena.
© Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

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Wembanyama doesn’t fit Shaquille O’Neal’s definition of a dominant big man, but he has redefined what the center position is in one short year with the Spurs and the coach. Gregg Popovitch‘steam.

Perhaps the greatest compliment one can pay the Gregg Popovich disciple is that his game is so fluid that he never needs to look dominant to dominate a basketball game on the court. He scores, blocks shots and impacts the game in a multitude of ways without having to appear to be trying too hard, if there is such a thing.

Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points per game, 10.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. The only area where he fell short may have been his shooting percentage. Wembanyama shot just under 47 percent from the field, a great number for most players, but not necessarily representative of a classic, traditionally dominant NBA great.

Perhaps O’Neal is right in this particular case and by his definition. That being said, there is a good chance that Wembanyama’s opponents would tell a different story, if questioned by the media.

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