When Shaquille O’Neal gives advice about thinking big, we’re inclined to listen. The man has made a fairly convincing career out of it.
As the new NBA season tips off, Shaq’s message for Victor Wembanyama brings that familiar O’Neal perspective: learn from the experience, prepare for another opportunity, and arrive ready to make your presence felt.
Preferably in a way that makes the opposing coach request a timeout.
In comments reported by Mirror U.S. Sports, Shaq discussed how Wembanyama could build on his first NBA Finals experience. His central point was direct: reaching the biggest stage teaches you something, but the next step is putting those lessons to work.
For Shaq, that means approaching another championship opportunity with the intention to dominate.
There’s a reason that word sounds especially natural coming from him. Some people offer advice about organizing your inbox. Shaq offers advice about becoming the problem an entire basketball team has to solve. Different areas of expertise.
What makes the message interesting, though, is the experience behind it.
O’Neal recalled thinking about what he would need to do if he returned to the Finals after his first appearance. His advice draws on the perspective of someone whose championship story took time to develop, rather than arriving fully assembled.
That’s an encouraging thought for a young star—and, frankly, for anyone whose first attempt at something important didn’t come with a victory parade.
Success stories can look wonderfully tidy when you skip straight to the trophy photo. The actual process tends to involve considerably more practice, adjustment, and figuring things out. Even very talented people need opportunities to learn what the next level asks of them.
Shaq’s point also gives Wembanyama something useful to focus on: preparation for the next chance.
You can’t schedule a championship celebration simply because you’ve decided you’re ready for one. Basketball has a habit of involving other teams, which is occasionally inconvenient. But you can decide how seriously you take the work leading up to your next opportunity.
That idea travels well beyond the court.
Maybe your version involves a job interview, a business idea, or a project you’re finally ready to try again. You probably won’t need to finish through contact against an NBA defender. Still, there’s value in asking what you understand now that you didn’t understand the first time.
For us, the appeal of Shaq’s advice is its sense of possibility. A difficult finish can become useful experience. A promising player can keep developing. The next chapter remains something to work toward.
And Shaq certainly isn’t suggesting that Wembanyama should aim small.
There’s something enjoyable about one towering basketball personality challenging another to make the most of his gifts. It’s a conversation with unusually large participants and a surprisingly relatable subject: how to get better.
We’ll leave the game plans and practice schedules to the professionals. From the fan seats, it’s easy to appreciate a message that combines ambition with the willingness to learn.
The Big Diesel’s assignment is clear enough: take the lesson, do the work, and be ready when the opportunity comes.
No elaborate motivational slideshow required. Although, knowing Shaq, we wouldn’t rule out a little entertainment along the way.