Shaquille O’Neal Refuses Claim That Victor Wembanyama Is Better Than Dwight Howard

Tonoy Sengupta | 04/09/2023
Shaquille O'Neal Refuses Claim That Victor Wembanyama Is Better Than Dwight Howard

Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard haven’t been on very good terms for a long time. However, coming across a clip on Instagram comparing Howard to rookie Victor Wembanyama, Shaq shockingly took Dwight’s side, announcing him as the far better prospect at 19.

Ever since Victor Wembanyama stepped into the NBA, fans have been beyond excited to see how he performs over the course of the NBA season. In fact, the hype has even gone to the point that some believe he is better than Howard ever was at 19 years old.

Many have vehemently disagreed with this notion, including multiple former NBA players. And among them now stands Shaquille O’Neal as well, as his repost of an Instagram video revealed.

It is rare to see Shaq, of all people, stand up for Howard. However, it is hard to deny his opinion on this hypothetical matchup. At the age of 19, 6’9″, Dwight was a force of nature. Not only did he have the physical strength to bully any opponent, but he could also leap out of the gym. Compared to that, while Victor Wembanyama does have potential, he is still a bit raw.

His body is beyond skinny, susceptible to bully-ball from bigger centers. And while his 7’5″ frame and dexterity at his size are something beyond generational, there is still the chance that he lacks the body control required for him to be as good as Howard at 19 years old.

Admittedly, despite all of Wembanyama’s talent, we’d be hard-pressed to call this a ‘debate.’

Shaq has been on Howard’s side off-late

Despite spending most of his years criticizing Dwight Howard for even the smallest mistakes, O’Neal has recently been reeling it back. In fact, the big man has even been using his Instagram stories to give the former NBA man some much-needed credit. He recently re-shared an IG post that said the following about Howard.

“Dwight Howard, a player who dominated the NBA with his rebounding and shot-blocking prowess. With career averages of 16.4 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, Howard was a force to be reckoned with on the court…Despite never winning an NBA Championship with the Magic, his dominance on the defensive end and his rebounding prowess have earned him a place among the greats of the game.”

Many have found these acts to be beyond heart-warming and justifiably so. After all, there aren’t many things sweeter than former adversaries setting their differences aside. Perhaps the two may even sit down for an interview together someday.

Post Edited By: Raahib Singh
Dwight Howard Shaquille O'Neal

About the author

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta is a Senior Editor at The SportsRush. Coming from an athletically inclined family, he has been surrounded by sports ever since he was 4 years old. But, while initially pouring all his time into Football (soccer), at 14, Tonoy discovered basketball through the countless highlights of Stephen Curry humiliating players from Curry Land. And just like that, a fiery passion for the game was ignited within Tonoy. And soon after, he decided to become a student of journalism, graduating in 2022, and choosing sports as his area of interest. Today, you can find him spending 99% of his time browsing through every type of content on every team in the NBA, before uncorking everything he has found to the world. In the 1% he isn't doing this, you can find him playing Basketball, Football, Volleyball, or practically any other sport he has had the opportunity to learn.

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