Shaquille O'Neal, on the stars and the dunk contest: "They are soft and scared"

Shaquille O’Neal wants to bring back the prominence of the dunk, which, in his opinion, has lost ground in the NBA. The legendary Los Angeles Lakers center, one of the most dominant players in history and the protagonist of some of the most spectacular dunks ever seen, has decided to take a step forward to change the landscape. His response is called Dunkman, a new league aimed at the world’s best dunk specialists.

O’Neal is fully aware of the impact of a dunk. During his nearly 20 years in the NBA, “The Diesel” turned the hoop into his territory and starred in moments that are part of the competition's history. One of the most remembered came in the seventh game of the 2000 Western Conference Finals when he received a spectacular lob pass from Kobe Bryant. That victory helped kick off the first of three consecutive seasons in which the Lakers clinched the championship.

A year earlier, O’Neal left another one of his iconic images by literally overpowering Chris Dudley with a dunk that perfectly summarized his physical prowess, technique, and ability to turn every play into a show. Now he wants other specialists to revive that spirit.

A Response to the Decline of the Dunk Contest

O’Neal has been observing the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contests for years, and his opinion on the recent level is clear. He believes that, apart from a few exceptions, the recent editions have been disappointing, leaving many fans feeling that something is missing.

That is why he decided to create Dunkman alongside Chuck Millan, a dunk specialist coach and founder/CEO of Team Flight Brothers. The goal is to bring together the best dunk specialists in the world and offer them a professional competition during the summer, outside the NBA season.

“The best dunkers were always professional athletes,” explained O’Neal. “Now you have these kids who are much better dunkers than our professional athletes. So, I wanted to bring them together and treat them like professionals.”

O’Neal is the founder and commissioner of the league. Although he never participated in the dunk contest during his career, he has had decades to analyze it from the outside and believes that the great performances have been too few and far between.

The showdown between Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon in 2016 is one of the best examples of what a dunk contest can offer when there is real competition. However, many of the NBA’s big stars have stopped participating. The last player who subsequently became an All-Star to win the contest was Donovan Mitchell in 2018.

$500,000 and Eight Finalists

Dunkman was born from the first season of the television show ‘Dunkman,’ aired last December and featuring specialists from around the world. However, that competition had no live audience or the scoring system that the league will now have.

The competitive first season began with 24 participants, and now only eight finalists remain. They will all compete for a prize of $500,000 in a grand final scheduled for August 25, live on TNT and HBO Max.

The main favorite is Mac McClung, the top-ranked player and winner of the NBA dunk contest for three consecutive years between 2023 and 2025.

Participants competed in four groups over four weeks at Overtime Elite in Atlanta, a venue with capacity for 1,300 spectators. The winner of each group earned a direct ticket to the final, while the other four finalists were selected as wildcards thanks to the next top scoring performances.

Five judges assessed the dunks, both made and missed, according to pre-established criteria. Additionally, all participants receive financial compensation for competing, a key aspect for O’Neal to make this discipline a professional activity.

Vince Carter, a Respected Voice

Among the commentators is Vince Carter, one of the biggest legends in dunk contest history. The former Toronto Raptors player won the 2000 All-Star Weekend with a performance that still lingers in fans' memories.

Carter surprised by then introducing his arm through the hoop and hanging on it using his elbow, an unprecedented move at the time. However, after that experience, he virtually stopped following dunk contests.

One of the reasons has a name: Chris Andersen. In 2005, the then Denver Nuggets player missed 13 of his 15 attempts, a situation O’Neal refers to as “The Birdman Effect.” Dunkman aims to precisely avoid such situations. Participants have two attempts to make their dunks within a 60-second window.

Carter believes that what he sees in Dunkman is expanding the possibilities of what can be done above the rim.

“You go out there and do the things you do, and people appreciate them,” he explained.

McClung Accepts the Challenge

McClung received the call from Millan and O’Neal to join the project. His case is unique because, unlike many Dunkman specialists, dunking is not his main activity in basketball.

The player, who recently signed with Bàsquet Girona in Spain, has won three NBA dunk contests and firsthand knows the pressure of preparing a performance.

“It was like completing the circle,” explained McClung. “I wanted to be part of this out of love and all the inspiration dunking has given me. These guys are truly incredible at this art, and it’s awesome to see people care about it.”

McClung also understands why many NBA stars decide not to participate. Preparing a dunk requires time, creativity, and numerous practices. Also, for many players with million-dollar contracts, the traditional contest prize is not a sufficient incentive.

“To be honest, from my personal experience, it’s scary. It’s a nerve-wracking experience,” he acknowledged.

The player asserts that he must first focus on other aspects of his game before dedicating time to preparing new dunks. Dunkman specialists, on the other hand, make dunking their priority.

“We Haven’t Seen Everything Yet”

There is a growing theory that there are few genuinely novel dunks left to discover. O’Neal disagrees. For him, the dunks some players perform during games show that there is still a vast room for creativity.

He would like to see players like Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, or Aaron Gordon back in the contest. Carter shares that vision and believes Dunkman’s evolution demonstrates that there are still movements capable of surprising.

Even classic elements like the windmill dunk can be taken to a completely different level.

“For some years, I’ve said that, but you don’t know what the guys in other parts of the world are doing,” Carter pointed out. “Especially those who train dunks and want to bring new ideas. I’ve always felt that we haven’t seen everything yet.”

McClung, for his part, acknowledges the immense difficulty of inventing something that no one has done before.

“You really have to dig deep to try to find something that no one has done or surprise someone,” he stated.

Shaq's Strong Message to the Stars

O’Neal is clear about the main issue, in his opinion, that explains the absence of big stars in the NBA dunk contest.

When asked why he thinks the most important players do not participate, his answer was direct.

“What’s the word… soft?”, he replied.

And he wanted to make his opinion even clearer:

“You can tell them I said it. They are soft and scared.”

With Dunkman, Shaquille O’Neal aims to show that dunking still has a lot of potential. His goal is to turn the specialists into true professionals, gather the world’s best talents, and prove that, far from everything being already done, the show above the rim can still surprise. The first major test will arrive on August 25, with eight finalists, $500,000 at stake, and Mac McClung as the primary favorite.

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