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SAN ANTONIO — Shaquille O’Neal won four championships and an MVP Award over his 19 seasons in the NBA, and has since studied it closely as an analyst.
So whom would he select if he were a general manager and could choose any player — past or present — with the No. 1 pick?
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“Me,” O’Neal told The Post.
Excluding himself?
“I’d probably go with [LeBron James] because Bron — and I know this is a Kobe [Bryant] comparison — Bron had it when he came in,” O’Neal told The Post. “It took Kobe two or three years to get it. Bron had it when he came in, so I’d probably go with Bron.”
You know who else has it too?
Victor Wembanyama, who has reached the NBA Finals in his third season, faster than many of the all-time greats, including James, Bryant and Michael Jordan.
This postseason Wembanyama has seemingly quieted any talk about who’s the next face of the league, if he hasn’t already snatched that ceremonial title from James, who has held it for two decades.
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Or has he?
“You have to take it,” O’Neal told The Post. “If he wins a championship, yes. If [Jalen] Brunson wins a championship, it’ll be Brunson. Face of the league ain’t something you pass on. You’ve got to go take it.”
Victor Wembanyama #1, with his head down, walking down court during the 4th quarter. The Knicks beat the Spurs 107-106. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
After blowing a 29-point lead to the Knicks in a 107-106 loss in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the Spurs trail the series, 3-1.
Wembanyama is averaging 27.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.2 blocks over the past four games. Brunson is averaging 29.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Brunson has skyrocketed into the national consciousness this postseason after barely being a blip on the radar.
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Knicks coach Mike Brown hopes the world will now see what New York has known.
“He definitely has not — or did not — get the attention that he deserved during the regular season,” Brown said. “I think he’s a top-three MVP candidate. And when it comes down to those things, his name wasn’t mentioned…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/shaquille-o-neal-tells-post-022903958.html
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Publish date : 2026-06-13 02:29:00
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