Shaquille O’Neal offered some advice for Victor Wembanyama after the San Antonio Spurs lost to the New York Knicks in five games in the NBA Finals.
Shaq said one thing Wembanyama needs to take from the series is that he needs to get stronger. The legendary center noted that Wembanyama struggled at times with intense physicality, pointing to Mitchell Robinson’s crucial offensive rebound late as an example of that.
“I say this with respect about Wemby: As good as he is, he’s going to need to get stronger,” Shaq said. “Because when you become a dominant big man, people are going to force, and a lot of times he couldn’t handle that push — for example, that offensive rebound that Mitchell Robinson got. I don’t know what he’s going to do this summer, but he definitely needs to get in that weight room and get stronger.”
Shaq: "I say this with respect about Wemby: As good as he is, he's going to need to get stronger. Because when you become a dominant big man, people are going to force. I don't know what he's going to do this summer, but he definitely needs to get in that weight room and get… pic.twitter.com/MR2RYPQhag
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) June 14, 2026
Wembanyama is listed at 235 pounds despite being 7-foot-4. The Spurs star is well aware that he has work to do to get bigger, but as he is still just 22, he has plenty of time to do just that. He probably would have done it even if Shaq hadn’t said so.
Wembanyama has to work on growing up mentally as well as physically, as we saw from how he reacted to the defeat. This entire series should serve as an important learning experience for him.
