San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been urged to be a badder version of himself this season.
According to Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal, Wembanyama, who led the Spurs to the NBA Finals last season, should be meaner and badder this season to reach his full potential.
Shaq Wants Wemby To Be Meaner
Once the most dominant player in the NBA, O’Neal has challenged Wembanyama to inject a dose of nastiness and physical aggression into his game to transform from a highly skilled phenom into an unstoppable force.
“They definitely have a chip on their shoulder. They know what it takes to get to a certain level,” Shaq said after the Spurs took down the Utah Jazz in overtime, 117-111, on Wednesday. “But I would still like to see Victor play a little mean. He had 36 and 14 tonight. That was a really good game for him, but would love to see him play a little meaner.”
While Shaq has frequently praised Wembanyama’s talent, he believes the 7’4″ French superstar relies too much on finesse and needs to develop a true “big man mentality.”
O’Neal argues that this kind of consistent physicality and interior dominance forces opponents to completely alter dynamics.
Shaq cited Wemby’s loss against the Houston Rockets last game where the Spurs star got blocked at the rim by guard Amen Thompson to give the win to Houston.
“The other night when they were playing against Houston, he had a last-second shot, and, you know, he’s a finesse guy, and a smaller guy blocked it I would like him to at least bump the guy. Any smaller guy? Get him off,” he said.
Wembanyama has powered the Spurs to a 3-2 start in the 2026-2027 NBA season, averaging 25.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and a dominant 3.8 blocks per game.
For Spurs Head Coach, The Team Should Have Consistent Effort On Both Ends, Including Wemby
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson is calling for the Spurs to be more consistent this season. He did not single out any player but hoped they would respond on the court.
“Effort goes a long way,” Johnson said. “As simple as it sounds and as talented as these guys are, consistent effort with just a little bit of togetherness and execution can really be something to grow and build upon … we just have not been consistent enough.”
“We’ve just all got to be better. We’ve got to make sure we’re putting our energy into the right stuff … we’ve got to play like our hair’s on fire,” he added.
Wembanyama lauded Johnson for his motivational speech, saying that it was all the Spurs needed to get fired up.
“We have to trust the process and keep the big picture in mind,” Wembanyama said. “We’re building. Right now, it’s what the regular season is for. We’re building.”
“Other things (are issues), but not the effort.”
The Spurs are the favorites to win it all this season, but they must remain healthy and continue to build into a playoff team as they hope to peak at the moments that matter most.
Victor Wembanyama Urged To Be Meaner By Lakers Legend Shaq