Shaquille O'Neal has revisited his comments comparing Victor Wembanyama to Bol Bol and suggested that he stands by what he said, even if he thinks the latter is "lazy as fuck."
Shaq, who just a couple months ago said that Bol Bol can do everything Wemby can do but even better, has doubled down on his comments on the latest episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq. "So Wemby comes one day, dribbles, shoots a three and Reggie's going off," he said at the 52-minute point of the podcast, referring to his October 2023 appearance on NBA on TNT alongside Reggie Miller and Charles Barkley, who did not agree with him at all. "I'm like, Reggie, calm down. He's not the first. It was a great move, but your vocal tonality is way too high. Bol Bol was the first do it."
He continued, "I hate when you put out statements and these earthlings [say], 'Oh Shaq's comparing Bol Bol to Wemby.' I'm not comparing, but after going back, I am comparing." He suggested that Wembanyama, a promising prospect for the San Antonio Spurs in his debut season, has "a lot more fanfare" and he "wants it more." In comparison, he thinks that Bol Bol, who signed a one-year deal with the Pheonix Suns last year, "is lazy as fuck."
Despite the perceived laziness of Bol Bol, he remains a big fan. "Bol Bol can do everything Wemby can do and even a little better," he said. "He's just lazy. So I stand by my statement that Bol Bol was the first seven-foot-five guy to have those skills. And you know whenever I open my mouth, I always try to open my mouth up with facts. Again, I'm not saying Bol Bol is better, just saying he was the first seven-foot-five guy to do that with style. I just think, you know, Wemby wants it a little more."
He later offered some advice to Bol Bol, who he believes has a chance to step up his game considerably. "My advice to Bol Bol is; Act like you want it," he said. "See, some people just get happy to be here. You either happy to be here or you want to make a difference or you want to be more than the difference. Like, Bol Bol played for me in the AAU championship and we had to suspend one time. We had to suspend him because he lost practice."
He reiterated that he believes the player is "extra lazy," but if he gets that extra push he could prove to be as valuable for the Suns as Wemby is for the Spurs.
Shaq has long been a fan of Bol Bol, and he said back in an interview with USA Today in 2019 that he would build a franchise around him over Zion Williamson. “I don't even think I go with Zion,” he said in the pre-draft interview. “Believe it or not, I'd go with Bol Bol. Him and Shareef are friends and I've seen the potential what this kid can do. For example, when I was his coach in AAU, we never lost. He's got it all. He's (7-2), can shoot, dribble, can pass. Nobody really knows it because he was always hurt.
