The Rising Stars contest during the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend is one anticipated event because of one player. Everyone’s bracing themselves to see what Victor Wembanyama is going to do in an All-Star setting for the first time. A 2x champion is keeping a keen eye on the Panini Rising Stars contest on TNT and commented that Wemby is reminding him of another big man he went up against in the league, Shaquille O’Neal.

Detroit Pistons icon Isiah Thomas saw Wemby talk about “a crossover and a behind-the-back creative move…” and said on TNT, “The only one who ever I saw thought that way, whose imagination went that way with the dribble was Shaq.” 

Shaquille O’Neal had 15 All-Star appearances. That’s two more than Zeke. Shaq was the first rookie to be voted All-Star starter since Michael Jordan in 1985. He was always determined to make the All-Star Weekend all about entertainment, though his skillset had some gaps. “I know people gonna say Shaq couldn’t dribble,” Thomas admitted. “But Shaq was creative in these All-Star games.”

The moment came when Shaq’s TNT Tuesday co-host, Jamal Crawford, was giving some tips to Team Pau’s Wembanyama. The Spurs rookie impressed the crossover expert and earned comparisons to Shaq from Zeke.

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Wemby knows he can do a mean Shaq. He even sat behind a tiny TNT desk replica to imitate O’Neal’s baritone doing the “Gas Math” moment from Inside the NBA. Thomas is on point about Shaq keeping it creative and fun during the All-Star game. He learned it from the best, after all.

Shaquille O’Neal kept the All-Star games entertaining

O’Neal didn’t participate in the Rookie Challenge when he was in the NBA. However, when the format changed to make teams, he led Team Shaq against Team Chuck. In his All-Star career, while he made sure to have fun, he kept it as competitive as a playoff.

While hosting his lifelong idol, Julius Erving, on The Big Podcast, Shaq and Dr. J slammed the NBA stars who skipped the Slam Dunk Contest. According to him, “our biggest stars are frightened of competition.” Shaq pointed at Dr. J, one of the greatest dunkers in history, to say he, along with Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins, was the inspiration behind his All-Star moments. Dr. J also said that stars avoid the dunk contest to preserve their brand.

If Shaq was afraid of competition, he wouldn’t have made All-Star MVP thrice. Do you think Thomas’ comparison is spot on?

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