Shaquille O’Neal’s Advice for NBA Phenom Victor Wembanyama: ‘Be Meaner’

The NBA legend and cultural icon has served as a sheriff’s deputy, reserve officer and honorary U.S. Marshal, at one point helping the Justice Department track down internet predators online; earned two master’s degrees and a doctorate; accumulated (and sold) 155 fast food franchises and 40 gyms; briefly co-owned the Sacramento Kings; runs the popular Dunkman slam-dunk league; tours the country as a DJ; and recently popped up in the new “Scary Movie.” Shaq’s also in his 15th season as one of the hosts of “Inside the NBA,” the “greatest sports studio show in the history of television,” according to The New York Times.

And yet, despite his considerable on-court accomplishments — four NBA championships, three NBA Finals MVPs, 15 All-Star selections and status as the most dominant big man of the modern era — Shaq rarely finds himself in the GOAT conversation, which typically pits Michael Jordan against LeBron James. When asked if this bothers him at all, Shaq launches into a story about his youth.

“The answer is yes and no,” he tells Variety. “I could remember crying to my mom one day about being the best athlete in my high school, but I didn’t win Athlete of the Year. My mom grabbed me and said, ‘Baby, nobody roots for Goliath.’ And I said, ‘What does that mean?’ And she said, ‘When you’re big, they expect you to do certain things, but the little guy will always get the praise.’”

He continues: “And I’m seeing it now because when you’re talking about the GOATs, it doesn’t matter who you pick, but please mention Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Yet they always go for the little guy — ‘Ooh Mike,’ ‘Ooh Kobe,’ ‘Ooh LeBron.’ So, do I feel underappreciated? Yes. But nobody roots for Goliath. And I’m flattered when a lot of people talk about their best big men and my name is mentioned, and when it comes to the most dominant ever then my name is one of two.”

Through his production company Jersey Legends, Shaq has spearheaded a number of TV projects, from the aforementioned Dunkman league to the acclaimed “Allen Iv3rson” docuseries for Prime, the Netflix reality show “Power Moves With Shaquille O’Neal” and a number of other scripted projects in development.

One thing you won’t see Shaq touch, however, is a documentary on his former Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant.

“I wouldn’t want to do one because that enigmatic, legendary story’s been told,” he explains. “If I was asked to do it by his family then I would do it, but I’m not just going to do it to be doing it.”

With the 2026-27 NBA season tipping off Oct. 20, one thing Shaq would like to see is more fire from Victor Wembanyama, the towering 22-year-old phenom whose San Antonio Spurs were felled in the NBA Finals by the New York Knicks. He says he enjoyed when Wemby threw Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson to the ground by the back of his head during the Finals and would like to see a lot more of that from the spindly Frenchman.

“I like Wemby, and that was a mean moment, but I’d like you to be mean all the time,” offers Shaq. “When things are difficult, I like breaking it down to its simplest form. It’s difficult to shoot a lot of threes and hit a lot of threes in high-pressure games, so when you’re 7’5”, you have to take advantage of your skill set. There’s no way a coach should even have the guts to say, ‘[Alex] Caruso, when you switch on him, play him.’ I would like him to read and react a little bit different. I’m not saying be a post guy, but when a guy on you is smaller than you, I don’t think you should shoot a jumper ever.”

A moment that really got under Shaq’s skin as a big man who was unstoppable in the low block was when the Knicks’ Jose Alvarado, all 6’0” of him, bodied up on Wemby in the Finals.

“Jose is my guy, but you need to put your arm around Jose and bash his face into the ground so he knows, ‘OK, if you’re gonna try to box me out, then I’m going to put this elbow in the back of your neck every time,’” Shaq says. “But other than that, fabulous player, great shooter and definitely has all the tools. If you’re playing for a historical franchise such as the Spurs, you’re going to have to win at some point. They almost had it, but I need him to be meaner.”