Shaq and the new Slam Dunk Contest: “$500,000 up for grabs”

The NBA All-Star Game’s dunk contest has lost its magic. Shaquille O’Neal said so in no uncertain terms during an interview with Boardroom, where he voiced his frustration with an event that has failed to excite fans and those around the game for far too many years.

For the former Lakers center, the NBA’s dunk contest has two problems: on one hand, the complete absence of the league’s biggest stars (such as LeBron James and Zion Williamson, who have never wanted to participate); on the other, the excessive number of misses and failed attempts before finally completing a dunk.

A stark contrast to the historic battles of the 1980s and ’90s between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins, or the iconic performances of Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin.

Rather than simply complaining, Shaq has decided to create an alternative by founding Dunkman, a professional league dedicated exclusively to the best dunkers on the planet.

I got tired, both as a former player and as a fan, of watching the NBA dunk contest. The real top players have been missing for the last 15 years. Meanwhile, there are guys online who may not be NBA players, but they do incredible dunks with millions of views. We said to ourselves: Why not create a tournament for them and pay them what they deserve?

Shaq

Dunkman: Shaq’s new project

O’Neal’s project, under the proposed new name Dunkman, would feature 24 international athletes from all over the world (from England to China), competing in a series of live events with a $500,000 grand prize for the winner. Shaq has already promised that he could raise the prize to $1 million for truly extraordinary performances.

While the NBA has had to rely in recent years on specialists or young stars like Mac McClung to keep its own contest alive, Shaq’s bet is aimed at bringing back the spectacle and adrenaline that once made the art of dunking so special.