There’s one person to credit for the Shaq-Kobe era of the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty. And that is the Lakers legend himself, Jerry West. The player-turned-coach-turned-GM was responsible for building the championship-winning team. That forged a long-lasting friendship between Jerry West and Shaquille O’Neal. ‘Mr. Logo’ made ‘Big Aristotle’ some big bucks by bringing him to the City of Angeles. He also shaped him as a player.

West recently spoke about his gigantic friend in relation to another rising star of the NBA. He discussed the hype surrounding Victor Wembanyama in an interview. But some things can make even the great Jerry West nervous.

Jerry West talks Wemby and Shaq

The Rich Eisen Show made the most of having Jerry West recently. They asked a lot of burning questions about the new generation of NBA stars including Victor Wembanyama. West has seen his fair share of star players. He, in fact, created them.

After retiring from playing, West remained with the Lakers as a coach and later the general manager. The franchise signed stars like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy. In 1996, he won the draft rights to get Kobe Bryant and lured Shaquille O’Neal from Orlando Magic to the Lakers.

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Signing Shaq was an unprecedented move that time. He had made strong contenders for the championship and made O’Neal very rich. So, West knows a thing or two about top prospects. He sees that around Victor Wembanyama now.

West initially talks about Wemby’s height. At 7’5″, Victor has four inches over 7’1″ O’Neal. West was shocked that the San Antonio Spurs player could dwarf Tim Duncan. West can see something “special” in him and under Greg Popovich’s team, Wemby could play at the, “highest level.”

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As Wemby is only 19, West is sure he could play for many years, maybe well into his thirties. But that also gives him some anxiety, “I’m actually anxious to watch him grow, that’s myself.”

West hesitates on the Wemby topic

When he was asked about Victor Wembanyama initially, Jerry West said, “Because I’m still involved with the Clippers, today, you’re really not supposed to talk about other players and I hope the NBA understands that.” Given his position in the league, West is understandably cautious of talking about other players.

Yet, he did go into the Wemby topic. He recalled seeing him play in the Summer League and his interview after. While his obvious talent made a good impression on the icon himself, it was his speech and the way he addressed the media that impressed West.

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West said that Wembanyama is polished and poised when he speaks. While he’s surely going to grow as a player on the court, he has the potential to represent the new generation of NBA stars already. Can’t get better than the Jerry West seal of approval.