Shaq's advice to Victor Wembanyama isn't as bad as we thought

After Victor Wembanyama recently revealed on Cold as Balls with Kevin Hart that Shaquille O'Neal is one of the journalists he likes the least, I expected the Lakers great to punch back. He's been known to get into disputes with former and current players whenever he feels disrespected. To my surprise, he spoke glowingly about the Spurs' star phenom on the Rich Eisen Show and offered him some sage advice.

"I would tell him to pace himself. Phil Jackson, and I don't know how he did it, but the three years we won in a row, he would come in at times and be like, 'Hey, sit these two games out. I need you to rest. No parties, no rap videos, no commercials; just rest. But when you come back, I need you to average 40.'" - Shaq

The Big Shaqtus is quite the enigma. You never know what he's going to say. I guess it depends on his mood and the atmosphere, as it does with most of us, but he's more of a line-stepper than the majority. Regardless, most won't want to hear his message, but it's the right one, and hopefully, San Antonio feels the same.

Shaq is proof that load management has been around for a long time

Too many people want to fault former head coach Gregg Popovich for the load management issue that permeated the league. But it wasn't some innovative idea that nobody has ever thought of before, and O'Neal just confirmed that. Some circumstances that transcend the basic responsibility of playing every single night, and they mostly all fall into the longevity category.

During the Lakers' run to a three-peat in the early 2000s, Shaq played 82 games exactly zero times. He played 77, 74, and 67 games in those seasons. So, I'm not saying that the coaching staff should sit him 20 games a year, but once they start getting into the playoffs and having extended runs, they need to manage the health of one of the uniquely built superstars in sports.

Wembanyama played in 71 games as a rookie. If he plays somewhere between 70-75 games most years, he'll likely be doing wonders for his ability to play longer into the playoffs and deeper into his career. There will be fans who feel robbed if they miss their chance to see the Alien play. I empathize with those people. But if we want 15 more years of him at a high level, sacrifices may have to be made.