Shaquille O’Neal seemingly in agreement with Rachel Nichols’ bold Victor Wembanyama ‘ceiling’ take
Shaquille O’Neal appears to share Rachel Nichols’ bold assessment of San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, likening him to legendary players often regarded as the greatest in basketball history.
In an episode of “Undisputed,” Nichols confidently stated that Wembanyama’s potential surpasses that of basketball icons Michael Jordan and LeBron James, who are often at the center of the debate about the greatest of all time (GOAT) in the sport.
“We've been sitting here for what, a decade, debating MJ versus LeBron. The ceiling of Victor Wembanyama is that he could render that completely mute,” she said.
Shaquille O’Neal posted a graphic featuring Nichols’ paraphrased statements on his Instagram story.
Nichols’ full statement also includes an assertion that Wembanyama’s ceiling surpasses even that of Shaquille O’Neal.
“This ceiling of this player is so high that after the game, we talked about all the records that he either set or tied. And you've got names like David Robinson and his first five games. Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James. Victor Wembanyama's ceiling, I'm not predicting he's gonna definitely get there, but his ceiling is higher than every single one of those three gentlemen,” she said.
Nichols made her bold claims about Wembanyama after his standout performance on Wednesday propelled the San Antonio Spurs to a 132-131 triumph over the Phoenix Suns, led by Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. The rookie sensation tallied a career-best 38 points and snatched ten rebounds.
During the fourth quarter, Wembanyama scored ten crucial points in a pivotal 12-0 Spurs run. He made a three-pointer and followed up with an 18-foot jumper to widen the lead to 128-116 with just 1:35 remaining in the game.
Shaquille O’Neal draws flak after comparing Victor Wembanyama to Bol Bol
During TNT’s halftime coverage of San Antonio’s victory over Phoenix, Shaquille O’Neal compared Victor Wembanyama and Bol Bol from the Suns.
"Bol Bol is the first 7-foot-4 guy that we've seen come out with the handles, shoot the three's, yes. Ya'll acting like ya'll ain't never seen a guy like that before. Bol Bol is the first guy."
Bol received a “Did Not Play - Coach’s Decision” in that game, leading fans to criticize Shaq for his statement.
Funny enough, Wembanyama matched a Shaq record after the Spurs’ win against the Suns as he became the first player since the Diesel in 1992 to record a minimum of 85 points, 35 rebounds, and ten blocks in their first five NBA games.