Shaquille O'Neal Chooses David Robinson Over Spurs' Victor Wembanyama
When it comes to a short list of the San Antonio Spurs legends, several players immediately come to mind: David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
Robinson claimed two championships during his time in the league, both arriving after San Antonio drafted a young Tim Duncan from Wake Forest. Duncan won three more NBA championships after “The Admiral” retired, playing with stars, including Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.
And the Spurs appear to have found their next great big man in Victor Wembanyama, who is already creating a legendary path in his third season with an appearance in the NBA Finals.
However, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal isn’t ready to give Wemby that superstar role yet when it comes to his personal preferences for the Spurs’ all-time greats. He explained why while participating in the well-known game of “Start, Bench, Cut.”
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Shaq had to choose who to start, bench, and cut between Robinson, Duncan, and Wemby. He immediately said he would “start Tim Duncan” and “David Robinson is next,” meaning he would cut Wemby.
“Tim Duncan’s the greatest power forward ever. David Robinson is my idol. I am who I am because of David Robinson … and Wemby’s 22, so he can go play in the G League for a couple years and then come back,” Shaq said on Yahoo Sports Daily.
It makes a lot of sense, as many players tend to prefer the guys they played against when it comes to the debates over all-time greats.
Shaq played against both Robinson and Duncan during his legendary career, and when it wasn’t Kobe Bryant, Shaq, and the Los Angeles Lakers winning championships, it was usually Robinson, Duncan, and the Spurs.
It’s fair to cut Wemby, only because he’s just getting started in his career. However, in three seasons he is already emerging as a serious contender to be among the all-time greats, possibly surpassing the feats accomplished by previous big men, Robinson and Duncan.
Both Robinson and Duncan are in the Basketball Hall of Fame. The Admiral averaged 21.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, three blocks, and 2.5 assists per game in his career, while Duncan averaged 19 points, 10.8 rebounds, three assists, and 2.2 blocks per game.
Shaq will have plenty of time to change his mind on the “Start, Bench, Cut” game as he watches Wemby become the type of player he truly is capable of becoming, along with the rest of the sports world.
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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 5:59 PM.