Dream basketball matchups between the old guard and the new guard spark endless debate among fans. The old guard thrived on physicality and isolation scoring, while the new guard emphasizes spacing, pace, and three-point efficiency. Those contrasts make the hypotheticals fascinating, especially in a dream matchup like Shaquille O’Neal versus Victor Wembanyama.
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It’s an almost perfect look at how dramatically the game has evolved. Shaq’s brute strength and paint dominance would challenge Wembanyama to survive physically. At the same time, Wembanyama’s length, mobility, and perimeter shooting would force Shaq far from his comfort zone.
While this matchup can only happen in NBA 2K, it doesn’t stop it from being a topic of conversation. The Diesel was asked about it during his recent interview on the Dan Patrick Show, where the host was curious how the Hall of Famer would match up against the dominant Spurs center. Shaq, of course, didn’t seem to be intimidated by the challenge. At least, at first.
“You have to back him under the rim and just throw it down on his face. Similar to Dikembe and Yao Ming. The little jump hooks, the little cutesy footsy move by the basket, is not going to work on him. You have to dunk on him and try to intimidate him,” claimed O’Neal.
This might seem like the only option. Wemby is a physical freak. His vertical is insane, and his IQ to get above defenders for blocks is a reason why he has excelled in that category. Playing bully ball with him because of his scrawniness is the only true way another big man can survive.
Shaq went into a little more detail. “He is much lighter than I, so I know I can get to my spot and turn with the elbows up and get him off balance a little bit and try to quick dunk him.”
The Diesel did it for decades, so there’s no denying that this would work. But how would O’Neal do against Wemby defensively? Nothing.
Shaq on how the matchup of him vs Wemby would go
“You have to back him under the rim, and throw it down right in his face…. But on the other end I probably have no answer for him”
(Via @dpshow) pic.twitter.com/z6jfx9bF1i
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) December 13, 2025
“But on the other end? I probably have no answer for him, because I’m not known for defense. I’m not known for stopping people. And guess what? People are not known for stopping me either,” joked the Lakers, Heat, and Magic icon.
At least he’s honest. But to be fair, that’s exactly the reason people would tune in. Because it would be a dog fight. “It would definitely be an exciting game,” added Shaq.
It’s the type of big-man matchup that parallels the 1990s era of basketball and that’s really the beauty of the hypothetical. Shaq versus Wembanyama isn’t about crowning a winner as much as it is about celebrating two eras colliding, each with its own rules, strengths, and philosophies.
The showdown would be loud, physical, skilled, and chaotic in the best way possible. It would be a reminder that no matter how much basketball evolves, the debate over greatness and matchups never will.
