“He Exploded for 6 Tonight”: Shaquille O’Neal’s Love for Bol Bol over Victor Wembanyama Gets Interrupted by Ernie Johnson

Shaquille O’Neal does not seem to be changing his mind anytime soon regarding his comparisons between the San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama and the Phoenix Suns center Bol Bol. Previously, Shaq had boldly claimed that Bol Bol was the first in the NBA to boast the skill set that people now praise Wemby for. In other words, the big man declared that Bol was the first 7′ 4 guy to shoot threes after being drafted as the 44th overall pick in the second round of the 2019 NBA draft.

It’s worth noting that Bol Bol and Wemby are similar in stature, both being 7-foot-4 tall big men for their teams. However, the difference is that Wemby is miles ahead of Bol Bol, simply in terms of scoring potential. For last night’s win against the Utah Jazz, Bol added six points, two blocks, and one rebound for the Suns’ eventual 129-115 win at home.

Interestingly, Bol Bol had a 60% shooting percentage last night during his 14 minutes on the floor. As a result, Shaq defended his stance on Bol after the center’s highlights were displayed on the screen. “Bol Bol!” the Diesel yelled out initially, “Give me some Bol Bol. Look at that. Come on Kenny.”

Meanwhile, Barkley made a joke about Bol Bol’s performance which prompted Shaq to say live on the Inside the NBA show, “Same thing your boy Wembanyama would do…I am not disrespecting him [Wemby], I am just saying Bol Bol was the first one to do it.”

 When Barkley asked Shaq if he thought Bol Bol was as good as Wemby, the Diesel confidently replied, “Yes, I do.”  To this, Ernie Johnson hilariously remarked, ” He [Bol] exploded for six tonight on two-of-five shooting!” 

Shaq further jokingly argued how the Suns have a better record in the league than the Spurs, which means, “Bol Bol’s better cause the team’s got a better record…I reward team, not individuals.”  This was actually a taunt from Shaq meant for the Chuckster, who had claimed in a previous edition that players on teams with a winning record deserve precedence in All-Star selection.

However, Shaq’s comparison of Bol Bol and Wembanyama is widely misconstrued. The big man had simply said that Wembanyama didn’t have a unique skill set because Bol Bol displayed the same traits before him. The only difference is that Wemby is the more consistent player.

Kevin Garnett resonates with Shaq comparing Victor Wembanyama to Bol Bol

Shaquille O’Neal has remained adamant, rooting for Bol Bol over Victor Wembanyama for quite some time now. At the start of the season, Shaq boldly remarked on the Inside Show, “No, I’m not because if you listen to what I said, I said you guys are acting like Wemby is the first 7-foot-5 player that dribble coast to coast, put it between his legs and shot a three [pointer].”  The big man further argued, “Bol Bol is the first. I never compared the two. I just said you guys act like you’ve never seen it before, but you have. You’ve seen Bol Bol do it.”

Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett resonates with Shaq rooting for the Suns center. In a recent matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers last month, Bol Bol was near perfect on the court, scoring 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists in his 19 minutes of play.

This made many believe in the center’s potential and made fans want more highlights of the American-Sudanese player. On his Instagram story, Garnett posted Bol Bol’s highlights with the caption, “YESSSSSSSSSS, can we PLS,” seeking more highlights of the player.

Bol Bol has been getting ample minutes this season and had previously played an incredible 11-point game against the Portland Trail Blazers. However, if we compare the averages of the two player, Bol Bol is far behind with 3.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game, as compared to Wemby’s 20.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game.

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• Bol Bol
• Shaquille O'Neal
• Victor Wembanyama