Victor Wembanyama is collecting all the heat from the NBA community. Fans and experts alike are shredding the San Antonio Spurs star for elbowing Naz Reid in Game 4 of the playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Well, his action came with an ejection, and now the incident is under the league’s scrutiny. However, ex-NBA star Dwight Howard feels that Wemby has a lot to learn. And he’s not talking about the game.

The Orlando Magic legend tweeted, “Wemby watch film on how the shaqs, the KG’s the Me’s threw them elbows it’s an art 🤣.” To be honest, Howard isn’t wrong. Art or pure chaos, these NBA icons mastered the skill of throwing elbows and controlling the paint during their era.

Shaquille O’Neal built a reputation on bruising defenders with those ruthless elbows, and the 2001 NBA Finals turned that chaos into must-watch television. Matched up against Dikembe Mutombo, the Lakers’ giant kept bullying the paint with his massive frame and sky-high elbows. However, Game 3 changed the plot. During one heated post-up battle, Shaq caught Mutombo with an elbow. He picked up his 6th foul and fouled out in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Shaq admitted that Wilt Chamberlain inspired his tactics. “I played like Wilt Chamberlain… I turned into Shaq. Wilt Chamberlain was my inspiration. He was the first one to elbow people in the face and be dominant, throw people around,” he admitted a few years ago.

On the other hand, Dwight Howard built quite a reputation for throwing dangerous elbows, and several NBA stars ended up on the receiving end. In 2014, he caught Kobe Bryant in the face during a heated Rockets-Lakers game. That quickly turned into an intense face-off as Kobe called him “soft”. A year later, Howard struck Andrew Bogut during the Western Conference Finals and received a Flagrant 1 foul. Even earlier, with Orlando, he nailed Glen “Big Baby” Davis with a brutal playoff elbow, creating another chaotic moment fans still remember.

Now, Victor Wembanyama could also learn from Kevin Garnett. But KG’s 2010 incident with Miami Heat’s Quentin Richardson led the NBA to hand him a suspension for Game 2 of the playoff series. Surely Wemby is likely not facing that fate. But a fine is up his alley, and the NBA won’t be gentle with the 2026 DPOY.

The San Antonio Spurs could catch a massive break if Wembanyama avoids a suspension after his heated clash with Naz Reid. Fans instantly connected the elbow swing to Ron Artest’s infamous 2012 hit on James Harden, and the comparisons spread fast across the basketball world. Back then, Artest, wearing a Lakers jersey, paid heavily with a brutal 7-game suspension that still lives in NBA controversy history.

Meanwhile, NBA punishments can escalate quickly. Standard ejections often bring at least a $2,000 fine, while a Flagrant 2 automatically carries the same minimum penalty. However, league reviews can push fines as high as $50,000 and even lead to suspensions.

NBA insider shreds Victor Wembanyama

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst didn’t mince words on Get Up. He said, “You absolutely do not take yourself out of a game like this. I think Victor Wembenyama and the Spurs have shown incredible maturity. They have been praised up and down the court the entire season and this postseason.” Windy added, “This was a very immature act by a player who took himself out of a game, opened the door for his team now to lose leverage in the series.”

Windhorst, too, noted that the league might not suspend the 22-year-old French prodigy. However, they won’t be too lenient next time. With the series locked at 2-2, he believes Victor Wembanyama can answer the controversy by playing better basketball and changing the conversation quickly. However, Windhorst ripped into the Spurs star for how he handled the moment after the ejection. What frustrated him most was Wembanyama seeming unaware of the damage the incident could cause. In a playoff battle, Windhorst felt that kind of reaction simply could not happen.

Meanwhile, the Spurs head coach took his player’s side. He told the media, “I just think that the amount of physicality that people play with him, at some level, you have to protect yourself. Every single play on every single part of the floor, people are trying to impose their physicality on him.” Mitch Johnson added, “I’m glad he took matters into his own hands… [Wemby’s] going to have to protect himself if [the refs] are not. The amount of physicality that people play with, with him, at some level, you have to protect yourself.”

So, the league will decide Victor Wembanyama’s fate before Game 5. Meanwhile, Dwight Howard has some easy advice for the rising star. He should learn the “art” of elbowing from the likes of Shaq, KG, and Dwight himself. Not sure how that might help Wemby though!