“It’s gonna make me retire” – LeBron James jokingly drags Victor Wembanyama into retirement saga

Victor Wembanyama joined LeBron James and Tom Brady for a special taping of his podcast, “The Shop”, at Fanatics Fest on Saturday. Wembanyama, who just came back from his Shaolin sojourn in China, looked in great spirits at the Javits Center, donning a white Fanatics jersey as he took care of his various media responsibilities at the event organized by Michael Rubin.

James was effusive in his praise of the young Spurs star and joked about how playing him regularly would soon lead to his retirement.

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“I can't play that much further… As long as Wemby keeps smacking my f***ing shots into the stands, it’s gonna make me retire.” - LeBron James on "The Shop"

Wembanyama listened intently, smiling at the veteran's joke. LeBron James was seemingly being modest while praising Wemby, as he currently holds a winning record (3-2) over the French phenom. In five games, the Frenchman has averaged 22.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.6 blocks against the Lakers with James in the lineup.

He will have a chance to improve his record against James, with the Lakers star set to return for yet another season with the renewed impetus of playing with Luka Doncic for a full year. Wembanyama believes James has more in store for NBA fans.

Responding to a question about how much longer LeBron would play, Wembanyama predicted that his Western Conference rival would play two more seasons.

"I think he's definitely got more in him. My bet would be two more seasons"

Victor Wembanyama does not mince words about Shaquille O'Neal

Victor Wembanyama also taped a live episode of Kevin Hart's YouTube show, "Cold as Balls", on stage at Fanatics Fest, fielding a variety of questions about himself and the future of the NBA.

Wembanyama made his feelings clear about Shaquille O'Neal, who has on several occasions branded the modern NBA as soft and called his countryman and idol, Rudy Gobert, the worst big-name player in the league. Wembanyama reiterated his respect for O'Neal as a player, but called him one of his least favorite journalists, leaving no doubt about his opinions about the legendary big man.

"Shaq has always been one of my favorite players, but one of my least favorite journalists" - Victor Wembanyama on "Cold as Balls"

The French big man also revealed his personal top 5, which included Spurs legend Tim Duncan.

"Curry, Jordan, LeBron, Duncan, and Shaq." - Victor Wembanyama on "Cold as Balls"

The French basketball player will now head to France. On his X account (formerly known as Twitter), he asked fans where to watch Game 7 of the NBA Finals in Paris, which will see the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.

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About the author

Amlan Sanyal

Amlan Sanyal is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with more than two years of experience. Amlan has a soft spot for the lovable loser, and years of supporting Leeds Utd, the Seattle Mariners and San Antonio Spurs have made him realize that there's more to sport than just championships.

Amlan started falling for basketball after watching the San Antonio Spurs in 2012 and 2013. He watched as a collective of veteran legends, underrated misfits and a young defensive stud extended the Spurs' era of dominance with a team-oriented style, reminiscent of the aesthetic brilliance of 2011 FC Barcelona.

Amlan has supported the Spurs ever since, even after enduring the heartbreaks of Ray Allen's corner three and several years in the wilderness post-Kawhi Leonard. He hopes Victor Wembanyama will become the face of the league as Pop rides off into the sunset.

When not working, Amlan is a keen quizzer and a podcast buff and can usually be found reading books, watching movies or listening to history podcasts.

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