Jan 27, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts after a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Ex-NBA Champion's Controversial Statement on Victor Wembanyama, Shaq

Originally posted on San Antonio Spurs on SI
By Colby Faria | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 3:16 PM ET

Who would come out on top in the classic case of old-school versus new-school in a fantasy showdown between NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal and San Antonio Spurs star big man, Victor Wembanyama?

It's always fun to dream about prime LeBron James or Kobe Bryant against prime Michael Jordan, but what about prime Shaq versus current-day Wemby?

Former Spurs great, Danny Green played both sides of the fence when asked who would come out on top in the hypothetical matchup between the two behemoths.

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"Yes he [Shaq] would've been able to bully him [Wembanyama] on opposite ends of the floor," Green admitted. "But on the defensive end of the floor, Shaq would've had problems. He's not comfortable leaving the paint, to guard them on the perimeter to guard them in lone spots, you can't teach 7'3, these guys are 7'3, 7'4...Shaq, you're not blocking those shots.

While Green believes the likes of Wembanyama as well as Oklahoma City Thunder star big man, Chet Holmgren would've given Shaq fits on the offensive side of things, the former NBA Champion believes 'Diesel' would've given both Wembanyama and Holmgren the work when he had the ball in his hands.

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"On the offensive side of the floor for Shaq, yes, he would've been playing bully ball, but it's no different than what we've seen with what Joel [Embiid] did to Wemby his rookie year. But Wemby's learned from that, he didn't quit against Joel and Shaq and Joel aren't that much different in size."

Danny Green says Shaq would’ve been in ‘hell’ if he had to match up against Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren

"Wemby and Chet Holmgren would've given Shaq a lot of hell."

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Prior to his issues with blood clots, Wembanyama was a virtual lock for the league's Defensive Player of The Year award as last season's Rookie of The Year averaged 3,8 blocks per game to go along with 1.1 steals per contest. Unfortunately for Wembanyama, who appeared in 46 games, the NBA now requires players to have appeared in at least 62 games in order to be eligible for awards.

This article first appeared on San Antonio Spurs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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