Shaquille O’Neal is one of the greatest big men in NBA history, and the four-time NBA champion knows the type of mindset it takes to reach the mountaintops.
O’Neal was critical of San Antonio center Victor Wembanyama after the first two games of the 2026 NBA Finals, which saw the Spurs drop two consecutive losses against the visiting New York Knicks. The 7-foot-4 center struggled to get to the rim, shooting inefficiently in Game 1 and Game 2.
“When I’m talking about big men, I don’t want you to be like me, I want you to have a certain mentality,” O’Neal said. “That’s all I’m asking him to do. I ain’t asking him to be me, I’m asking him to have that mentality because this is what it takes to win a championship.”
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Wembanyama was aggressive to start Game 3, getting to the basket at will. He finished the game with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks, leading the Spurs to their first victory of the championship series.
Wembanyama made two of his four attempts from behind the 3-point arc, marking his fewest attempts from 3 of the series. He started the game with back-to-back dunks, setting the tone at Madison Square Garden.
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“What we’ve built with this team is we have an identity that makes everybody dangerous,” Wembanyama said on Tuesday, via ESPN. “Sometimes it will pay off over a season, [sometimes] over a playoff series.”
Game 4 of the NBA Finals will tipoff at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
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