Skip Bayless Disappointed With Shaquille O’Neal Labeling Victor Wembanyama ‘Perfect Big Man’

Skip Bayless did not agree with Shaquille O'Neal's words of praise for Victor Wembanyama.

Skip Bayless Disappointed With Shaquille O’Neal Labeling Victor Wembanyama ‘Perfect Big Man’

Skip Bayless on Shaquille O'Neal praising Victor Wembanyama (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Skip Bayless expressed disappointment over Shaquille O'Neal calling Victor Wembanyama the "first perfect big man."
  • Wembanyama led the Spurs to their first playoff appearance since 2019, averaging 24.7 points and 11.3 rebounds in the first round.
  • Bayless continues to support Joel Embiid, referring to him as the original "alien" over Wembanyama.

There is no doubt that Victor Wembanyama is destined to be an all-time great in the NBA. He has taken the NBA by storm and has already elevated himself into one of the best players in the league today.

In just his third season in the NBA, the center led the Spurs to a second-place finish in the Western Conference standings and has taken the franchise to its first playoff appearance since 2019. After taking out the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in the first round, the Spurs sealed their place in the Western Conference Semifinals.

After beating the Trail Blazers, Shaquille O’Neal said Wembanyama is the “first perfect big man that’s ever been created. Sports columnist and analyst, Skip Bayless, was surprised to hear O’Neal’s statements.

I was a little disappointed in Shaq overreacting, because now the bandwagon is rolling because they realized that Wemby is gonna fuel the ratings. They think that SGA is just boring.

Skip Bayless on Gil’s Arena show

When the San Antonio Spurs picked Victor Wembanyama as the first pick of the 2022 NBA draft, they knew they had drafted an anomaly. The NBA has never seen a player who is 7’4″ tall, moves and is crafty like a guard, and can shoot from range. He has already established himself as the best two-way player in the league.

It is not often that Shaquille O’Neal compliments the big men of today’s generation. But he had high words of praise for the Frenchman, who had a good start to his postseason career. However, Skip Bayless, who regards O’Neal as the greatest big man of all time, wasn’t happy to hear what the three-time champion had to say.

Victor Wembanyama begins his playoff career with a bang

Victor Wembanyama is coming off an incredible 2025-26 regular season. He became the youngest ever and the first ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named as one of the top-three candidates for league MVP. In the first round, Wemby averaged 24.7 points, 11.3 and three blocks.

Victor Wembanyama and his Spurs teammates walking off
Victor Wembanyama (Image via Spurs/X)

Despite having a dominant regular season, there were doubts about whether the Spurs have what it takes to make a deep playoff run. Most of their players have never played in the playoffs and hence lack experience.

However, they registered a convincing 4-1 series win over the Trail Blazers. They even won a game without Wembanyama in the lineup as he was ruled out due to a concussion. The Spurs became just the second team, after the Oklahoma City Thunder, to book a spot in the Conference Finals this year.

They will face the winner of the Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves series. The Wolves currently lead 3-2.

Skip Bayless calls Joel Embiid the original “alien” over Victor Wembanyama

Skip Bayless has always been a fan of the Spurs, but is still not convinced by the French center. But the former Fox Sports analyst is a fan of Joel Embiid. Embiid is a former MVP but has struggled to stay away from injuries throughout his career. He is the only MVP in NBA history to have not taken his team beyond the second round of the playoffs.

However, Bayless continues to back the 76ers center. In fact, he believes Embiid is the original “alien” over Wembanyama.

I hear night after night about that alien in San Antonio. I was about to say this guy has been the alien for the last decade when he feels like it. And some nights he goes back to whatever planet he came from, never to be seen. But Joel Embiid, to me, is the biggest tease in the history of professional basketball because when he is healthy and he feels like playing basketball, there is nothing better than him.

Skip Bayless on Gil’s Arena show

Embiid just returned to action in Game 4 in the Philadelphia 76ers-Boston Celtics series. He put in a dominant performance in Game 5 and led his team to victory. However, the 76ers still find themselves 3-2 down in the series and will be hoping to see more of Embiid.

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