"Shaq hating on young centers again" - NBA fans unimpressed as Shaquille O'Neal snubs Victor Wembanyama from his Top 30 players

Before the 2024-25 season gets underway, Shaquille O'Neal decided to give out his rankings of the top 50 players in the NBA. After putting Victor Wembanyama at No. 31, the Hall of Fame big man received backlash from an array of NBA fans.

In a recent clip for Bleacher Report, Shaq shared his thoughts on why he put the reigning Rookie of the Year where he did on his list.

"Same thing my father told me. You're good but you're not good enough," Shaq said. "He's really good, but when your team don't make the playoffs, and you that guy and all the pressure is on you it don't matter who you have on with you, you have to win."

Coming off an impressive rookie campaign with the San Antonio Spurs, fans sounded off on Shaquille O'Neal for putting Wembanyama so low.

Fans cited that the Spurs' struggles had nothing to do with Wembanyama. The young center was dominant on both ends of the floor but had minimal talent around him.

"Shaq quit tripping, his number two is CP and Vassel," one fan said.

"Wemby still got his numbers tho !!! He literally didn’t have anybody around him. Him and Chris Paul bout to make a difference this season," another fan said.

"This is a little harsh Shaq… those plumbers on his team won’t pass him the damn ball," said one fan.

In addition to winning ROY, Wembanyama was named to an All-Defense team and led the league in blocks as a rookie. Across 71 games, the former No. 1 pick averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.6 blocks.

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What players did Shaquille O'Neal put ahead of Victor Wembanyama on his top 50 list?

Looking at Shaquille O'Neal's top 50 list, there is a case for Victor Wembanyama to be placed ahead of numerous players. Even though the team didn't have much success, it's clear the 7-foot-4 center will be a dominant force in the league for years to come.

Some of the players Shaq put ahead of Wembanyama include Bradley Beal, Kawhi Leonard, and Jamal Murray. Most of these players struggle to stay on the floor consistently and are secondary options on their team.

Another questionable name that Shaquille O'Neal put ahead of Wembanyama is Trae Young. He cited team success when giving the Spurs power forward a low rank, but the Atlanta Hawks didn't make the playoffs either. On top of this, Young is only a factor for his team on offense.

Shaq isn't trying to give the young star too much too soon. That said, even as a rookie, Wembanyama has shown glimpses of how he can be a superstar in the league in the foreseeable future.