Shaquille O’Neal believes the NBA Slam Dunk Contest has lost some of its appeal because major stars rarely participate and competitors miss too many attempts.
“In the last 15 years, we haven’t had a real top guy like LeBron [James], Zion Williamson, participate in a dunk contest,” O’Neal said on Boardroom Cover Stories. “And then you’ve got guys missing three or four dunks.”
The event once regularly featured prominent players and produced memorable performances from stars such as Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter, Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin.
In recent years, however, the contest has faced criticism for its lack of established NBA names.
O’Neal is now backing DUNKMAN, a competition designed to showcase talented dunkers who may not play in the NBA. Its winner will receive $500,000, with the possibility of the prize increasing depending on the performances.
“If you look online, there are kids who are not good enough to be in the NBA, but they’re unbelievable dunkers, and they’ve got a lot of views [on social media],” O’Neal said. “They get a lot of eyes on them. I was like, maybe we need to put a league together and compensate these guys.”
DUNKMAN is also expected to feature an international field, with athletes from England, China, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Ukraine and the United States.
Shaquille O’Neal drops savage truth bomb on failing NBA Slam Dunk Contest https://t.co/LFFe0O8EsK pic.twitter.com/SWcdxusYwA
— New York Post (@nypost) August 11, 2026
