There is no denying that Victor Wembanyama has captured the imagination of the basketball world, whether with his physical attributes or his skill set, making him a once-in-a-lifetime player, something the NBA has long sought.
One could argue that the last time a player exhibited such dominance was when Shaquille O’Neal played in the league. Like Wembanyama, O’Neal came across as an unstoppable force on the court, leaving the opposition no choice but to marvel at the Big Diesel’s greatness.
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Something former Los Angeles Lakers teammate and NBA guard Jon Barry witnessed firsthand, recently sharing insights about it during an appearance on Byron Scott’s “Fast Break” podcast.
“The athleticism was just ridiculous … He was like the Wembanyama now. We didn’t see a guy that big be able to do the things that Shaq could do, like he had skill, like he could pass, he could dribble up the floor, and he took a beating,” he said.
“We would have been sitting there watching him shoot free throws all night long cause he got fouled damn near every play,” shared Barry, who frequently complained to the officials about O’Neal getting fouled hard during plays.
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Being on the receiving end
The son of NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry, Jon witnessed Shaquille’s unmatched dominance both as a teammate and an opponent, with the latter indeed being a scarier sight. Elaborating on it, the younger Barry revisited one of his encounters against the Shaq, which, no surprises, wasn’t the most pleasant experience.
A play that had Shaq collect a rebound, with Jon using all the force in the world to try to strip the ball from the seven-footer’s hands, with nothing going as planned. Revisiting the incident, the 6’4″ guard also shared what O’Neal had to say to him at the time, as well.
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“Get the hell out of here, JB,” O’Neal told Barry, who could not help but burst out laughing at the sheer sight of helplessness.
“I mean he (Shaq) was insane. I mean, he was like the Wilt Chamberlain back playing against 6’6″ guys. That’s what he was. He was so dominant that no one could no one could deal with him,” mentioned Jon.
Fast forward to today and the NBA seems to be witnessing a similar force in Wembanyama, aka The Alien.
Current era’s Superman
While he may not possess the same level of strength as O’Neal, Wemby is what one would call the perfect big man, something Shaq seconded as well. Standing at 7’4″, the Spurs center appears to be unstoppable at both ends of the floor. Not to mention his ability to move, dribble and shoot like a point guard, something many still find hard to fathom.
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Known for his harsh criticism of the modern-day big man, Shaq had no choice but to acknowledge Vic’s exceptional talent.
Well, getting his flowers from someone like O’Neal, Wemby has every reason to celebrate. Not to mention coming off a year that had him win the first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, while also finishing third in the race for league MVP.
At the same time, his contributions have translated into wins on the court, putting the Spurs back in the championship hunt and close to the first NBA Finals in more than a decade.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.