Thirty-one years apart, two Game 7 postgame scenes captured the start of a possible NBA era: Shaquille O’Neal lifting the young Orlando Magic into the 1995 NBA Finals, and Victor Wembanyama doing the same for the San Antonio Spurs after a dramatic seven-game win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both moments featured a towering former No. 1 pick embracing inexperienced teammates after carrying a youthful team through a grueling playoff run. The comparison between O’Neal and Wembanyama is striking not only because of their size and dominance, but also because each entered the Finals as the face of a team that seemed to be arriving sooner than expected.
O’Neal’s Magic team, led by a 23-year-old Shaq and Penny Hardaway, became one of the youngest squads ever to reach the Finals after defeating the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs. But the 1995 Finals ended badly for Orlando, as Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets swept the Magic. O’Neal later admitted that he and his teammates had celebrated too much before the series, a lesson he said stayed with him for the rest of his career. Even so, the 1995 run marked the beginning of a long and decorated Shaq era that eventually produced six Finals appearances and four championships.
Wembanyama’s rise has triggered similar excitement, but with a modern twist. He is a 7-foot-4 center with rare ball-handling, shooting and defensive skills, and unlike O’Neal, he pairs his physical dominance with perimeter scoring, three-point shooting and strong free-throw accuracy. He also lives with a highly disciplined lifestyle, avoiding alcohol and focusing on nutrition and recovery. League rivals already view him as a franchise-altering player with a level of skill the NBA has never had to defend before.
The Spurs’ path mirrors Orlando’s in other ways. San Antonio has built around its young star through the draft, adding players such as Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper to form a promising core. The team is now one of the youngest ever to make the Finals, creating hopes that Wembanyama could lead a dynasty-like stretch. But just as O’Neal’s early greatness did not guarantee a straight path to titles, Wembanyama’s future remains unwritten.
The Knicks, San Antonio’s Finals opponent, arrive as dangerous underdogs despite representing one of the league’s most storied franchises. Led by Jalen Brunson, they have been dominant throughout the postseason and have not lost in more than 40 days. Their style and roster differ sharply from the 1995 Rockets, but like Houston, they stand in the way of a young superstar trying to announce the beginning of a new NBA age.
For now, the story is about possibility. O’Neal’s era began in 1995 with greatness, pressure and missed chances. Wembanyama’s era may be starting now, with the Spurs embracing their youth, uncertainty and belief that they can do what others consider impossible.
