After a successful show of his skills in the Olympics, which led France to the finals in the basketball category, 7-foot-4 San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is expected to take the upcoming league by storm. However, just weeks before the start of the 2024-2025 season, the 20-year-old has found himself at the center of a heated debate ignited by none other than Shaquille O’Neal, and the fans are also not happy about it. But what did the Los Angeles Lakers legend say?

In the latest episode of The Pat McAfee Show, the four-time NBA champion has sent shockwaves down the basketball world by asserting that Wembanyama might not achieve true dominance this season. “Wemby is a great player. But I don’t really think you can be dominant when you shoot jumpers a lot. I think if he was an inside player at 7-foot-5, the answer would be yes. But when you shoot jumpers, you’re always going to go up and down,” said Shaq.

Shaq’s point of view might be based on the time when he played alongside Lakers greats like Kobe Bryant. Being a seven-footer himself, he wanted to convey that Wembanyama, rather than just focusing on jump shots, should also focus on offensive strategies such as passing, dribbling, or shooting. After all, this was the strategy that helped the Lakers win three titles in a row.

Last season, the French center averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game, which is a pretty good stat line for a new player in the NBA. If he follows what Shaq says, he might get better results. However, not everyone was happy with the remarks that the giant made.

A user on X reposted a tweet from the official account of Legion Hoops with Shaq’s quote and wrote, “This right here is one of the main reasons why Inside The NBA finally getting sent to the Shadow Realm is for the best.”. This acted as a catalyst for the already intensified rage of the fans. Let’s see how most of them reacted.

Fans are disappointed with Shaquille O’Neal’s analysis

In the age of viral hot takes and instant reactions, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has once again found himself at the center of a passionate fan backlash. The previously mentioned user’s words have been echoed by many, with one fan commenting, “Specially Shaq man he’s so bitter it’s disgusting. talking shit about other players unprovoked & pocket watching“. Shaq has been known in the media industry for being straightforward, and the instances can be related to his recent comments about the Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert. When asked about who was the worst NBA player of all time, Big Diesel was quick to name Gobert.

The 52-year-old has always had a loving and hilarious character in him. His appearances in commercials and Late Night TV shows, like the time when he described his Walmart incident on the James Cordon show, made him a popular entity. However, after his controversial takes, fans have turned their backs on him, with one user commenting, “used to fw them for entertainment purposes only but that flew out the window long ago. time to move on man,” while another netizen reflected on the same, writing, “literally bro get ts off my screen”. However, the fans didn’t stop there.

The Inside the NBA, hosted by Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith, might see its end since the NBA has signed a new broadcasting deal with Amazon. Some fans even pointed this out, calling this a good sign. “facts. like I understand Inside the NBA has been a staple but it’s needs to finally disappear to help push hoop discourse in a better direction,” commented one fan.

However, amidst this storm of rage towards the former Lakers All-Star, there were fans who showed their concern about missing Ernie Johnson even though the others remained frigid on the fact that the show must go down. “Ima miss Ernie though he was the only real n**ga on the show tbh,” wrote the fan. It seems like Shaq till now hasn’t made any comments regarding the backlash from the fans. Only time will tell how much this new controversy will develop.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.