Victor Wembanyama and Shaquille O’Neal are two of the most unique players in basketball history. A physical anomaly, Wembanyama is a giant who can dribble, shoot, pass, rebound, and defend equally well. Whereas, Shaq was a beast on the basketball court, dominating the paint with his sheer physicality. With the two celebrities being among the tallest players in league history, fans wonder how Wemby would measure up next to Shaq.
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Standing at a towering 7ft 4”, Victor Wembanyama is the tallest active player in the NBA. With a monstrous 8-foot wingspan, Wemby also leads all players in the same aspect. On the other hand, Shaquille O’Neal stands at 7ft 1”. So, while both individuals are much taller than the average person, there is a huge three-inch difference between them.
Wembanyama and Shaq haven’t met each other yet. Hence, an accurate side-by-side comparison between the two isn’t yet available. However, Wemby has met up with other legends with a similar height as Shaq. Judging from his photos alongside David Robinson, one can be prepared to see Wemby dwarf Shaq.
Before the NBA season tipped off, Wemby met up with legends apart from Robinson as well, such as Gregg Elliot, Manu Ginobili, and Tim Duncan, all of whom he met for a meal after he was drafted.
As seen in the iconic photo, despite his knees being bent, the French phenom towered over the esteemed company he was with. So, it’s pretty clear that when he meets Shaq, the Diesel is going to be forced to crane his neck just to talk to Wemby.
Shaquille O’Neal has said some questionable things about Victor Wembanyama
Even though Shaquille O’Neal hasn’t met up with Victor Wembanyama yet, the TNT analyst has made several questionable remarks about the latter. Almost eight months ago, while Wemby was still in France playing for the Metropolitans 92, Shaq predicted how the youngster would fare in the 1990s.
Speaking about the pre-draft hype surrounding the European superstar, O’Neal sounded jealous, stating that the latter would be destroyed in his era.
“I think people better watch out, but if this was our era, bang him, he’d be chicken noodle soup, which I kind of like,” Shaq said.
Apart from subtly mocking Wemby for his physique, the Big Aristotle has made some disrespectful takes, comparing the prodigy to Bol Bol. Despite the Spurs center putting up an impressive rookie campaign, Shaq implied that he felt no difference between Wemby and Bol.
“You guys are acting like Wemby is the first 7-foot-5 player that dribble coast to coast, put it between his legs and shot a three [pointer],” O’Neal said. “[Wembanyama] is not. Bol Bol is the first. I never compared the two. I just said you guys act like you’ve never seen it before, but you have. You’ve seen Bol Bol do it.”
Being touted as the greatest prospect since LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama has had to prove several naysayers wrong. So far, Wemby has done a great job in doing so, averaging 19.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game. Despite not receiving any of the two Rookie of the Month trophies, the 20-year-old is still the frontrunner to win the Rookie of the Year award.
